Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has identified a data breach affecting a limited number of individuals' personal data.
On Monday evening, 27 July, an email was sent to electors who had provided emails to the Council’s Elections team, inviting them to check the information held for their property and confirm or update those details.
This was sent for the purpose of updating the electoral register and is known as the annual canvass.
Unfortunately, due to an administrative error, the email contained a link that revealed the recipients' forename, surname, email address, and household-specific unique code.
The unique code alone cannot be used to access electoral registration information, as additional information is required to activate and use the service.
As soon as the issue was identified, officers took immediate action to investigate the cause and disable access to the affected link.
The Council takes residents personal information security extremely seriously and a review will be undertaken. Those impacted by the data breach have been contacted.
The incident was also discussed with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at the earliest opportunity, and appropriate steps have been taken in line with the advice received.
The Council would like to reassure residents that the issue has been contained and that immediate action has been taken.
Tom Shardlow, Chief Executive at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, said:
“The Council is required to update the electoral register periodically, and it is clear that, on this occasion, an unfortunate human error occurred during that process.
“I am disappointed that this error has happened and would like to offer my sincere apologies to those residents who have been affected and may be concerned by this incident. I am confident that this is an isolated incident.
“I want to reassure residents and elected members that the Council takes its responsibilities for protecting personal information extremely seriously. We are committed to treating residents' data with the utmost care and respect at all times.
“I am reassured that, as soon as the issue was identified, officers acted swiftly to contain it, investigate the cause, and contact those affected. The Council has also reported the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office and followed the advice provided.
“A thorough review is now underway to understand exactly how this error occurred and, most importantly, to identify any additional safeguards needed to prevent a similar incident from happening again.
“While we recognise that this breach will understandably cause concern for some residents, we would like to reassure the public that the issue has been contained and that protecting residents’ information remains a priority for the Council.”
Residents with any concerns or questions should contact the Data Protection Officer by email at dpo@nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk.
As a matter of good practice, residents should remain vigilant for any unexpected emails and should report any suspicious communications that appear to relate to electoral registration or request personal information.
The Council apologises for any concern this incident may cause and will continue to monitor the situation.