Devon/Cornwall Police Department Data Breach (2008)

A floppy disk containing the personal details of employees of Devon and Cornwall has been found at recycling centre. Data breached includes employee names, addresses, telephone numbers and rank. The floppy disk was in an obsolete computer that had been used by the force and had been sent for recycling. A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said, “Recycling old computers was a conscious decision taken by the force as part of an overall cost cutting exercise and hard drives are always wiped clean but it appears that on this occasion the floppy disk has been overlooked."