Flawed website leads to Lands Authority data breach

The personal data of some 5,000 Lands Authority clients ended up in the public realm through a simple Google search • Authority says website has been pulled down

23 November 2018, 6:44pm
by Staff Reporter

1 min read

Client information at the Lands Authority was available on the internet in breach of data protection rules

Personal information of clients serviced by the Lands Authority ended up in the public realm after a website fault allowed the data to be accessed through the internet.

The breach was flagged this evening by the Times of Malta and Shift News that claimed the personal data of some 5,000 Lands Authority clients was accessible by a simple Google search.

The data breach included identity card details, e-mail correspondence and affidavits.

A spokesperson for the Lands Authority confirmed with MaltaToday there was a breach.

“The website was pulled down immediately the problem was flagged. The technical problem has been identified as a flaw in the website design, which appears to have been there since the start,” the spokesperson said.

He would not elaborate but insisted all technical and legal advice was being taken to protect clients and the authority.