Passwords Exposed By NSW Police
Passwords Exposed By Police
April 5th, 2006: A database containing the names, email addresses and passwords of up to 800 people on the NSW Police media release list has been inadvertently published online.
Discovered by The Sydney Morning Hearald, the database includes the details of police officers such as the anti-terrorism commander Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Jenkins, and hundreds of journalists.
The database has been taken offline, however it still exists in search engine cache’s. While the disclosure only includes passwords used for accessing NSW Police media releases, many people use the same or similar passwords for different accounts. Due to this, and the fact that the addresses belong to police officers and media personnel, the exposure could be much more damaging than is immediately apparent.
Publishing an email database like this on the web also makes those listed vulnerable to SPAM if an email bot picks up on the listing.
The registration link for media releases on NSW Police Online appears to have been suspended for the time being. When contacted by IDM the NSW Police media unit said a statement would be released later today.
Keep an eye on IDM for updates.
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