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>> Reports from the Norwich Science Festival
7th November 2017 Issue 343
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The official student newspaper of the University of East Anglia | concrete-online.co.uk
16 breaches year before AMA data leak
Sophie Bunce Deputy Editor The university suffered 16 similar data breaches prior to the school wide leak in June, a data protection document on UEA’s portal shows. The leak saw hundreds of american studies students receive an email containing sensitive information about coursemates’ extenuating circumstances requests. The university’s “Information and strategy and services committee” annually receive a report on data leaks. In 2016, 16 data breaches occurred. The report included three cases listed as a “misdirected email with attachment containing sensitive
data.” Also listed included a "misdirected email with attachment containing personal data" which had been mistakenly sent, very similar to the June data leak. None of the 16 incidents were notified to the The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). ICO conducted an investigation into the AMA breach. ICO determined the university would not receive a fine for the leak actions despite complaints from students. A UEA spokesperson said: “Previously we did not have adequate processes in place to ensure lessons were learnt across the University following data breaches. “However since the AMA data breach, the underlying issues
have been thoroughly examined, lessons have been learned, and the introduction of a wide range of measures is underway to improve data protection at UEA. “These include data protection training for all UEA academic and support staff and changes to email policies and procedures. SU Campaigns and Democracy Officer Jack Robinson said he was shocked by the previous breaches. He said: “It is absolutely astonishing that in 2016 there were repeated data breaches involving personal data and email, but only in light of this incident has concerted action been taken to prevent a repeat. “The university might have put a plan in place now, but there are real questions about whether
this incident was preventable or predictable that we need answers to now”
"The underlying issues have been thoroughly examined, lessons have been learned" Mr Robinson said the university was not doing enough for students affected by the breach. He said that “four months on from the incident we can’t find a single affected student that has had
any resolution, compensation or closure to their complaint”. Instead, Mr Robinson claimed, students “appear to have been repeatedly fobbed off by promises of responses that never materialise and University ‘insurers’ that don’t seem to want to pay out.” For a University supposedly famed for student experience this is disgusting- and highlights how just how weak the UK regulatory system is for students when a University gets something wrong” A university spokesperson said compensation was being considered. They said: "The question of compensation is being given careful consideration by our insurers and their advisers and offers of compensation have been made in serious cases.”
Union to boycott Picturehouse Cinemas Emily Hawkins Editor-in-Chief UEA’s students’ union will boycott Picturehouse Cinemas, following a motion raised at Union Council that proposed showing solidarity with striking workers. Motion 2147 Night of the Living Wage: Boycott Picturehouse resolved to support strikers of the cinema, who have been campaigning for a living wage for a
number of years in London. Picturehouse workers say the cinema company had agreed to pay them the London living wage, determined by the London Living Wage Foundation, of £9.75 an hour. The boycott will involve the students’ union writing to Picturehouse and its owner Cineworld telling them they will not be allowed to attend freshers’ fairs or participate in other union activities “until the dispute is over”. The motion was proposed by
SU Mature Students Officer Lewis Martin, who urged students to support the workers involved in the strike. SU Campaigns and Democracy Officer Jack Robinson said: “The SU Council agreed a range of student focussed policies at its last meeting which will see action taken on student mental health, starting at University, postgraduates that teach and students working for Picturehouse. “The SU has a partnership in
place with the GMB Trade Union to secure and promote rights for student workers- and given the number of students Picturehouse employ it’s important for us to help them secure the Living Wage, union recognition, sick pay and other rights that students who work at the SU get automatically” Councillors voted to pass the motion by 33 votes to 28. 11 councillors abstained. Jack Annand, union council representative for Business Society,
said he voted against the motion as he did not feel the issue was “something that union council should be concerning itself with”. He said: “In the end I voted against because I don't think the student union has a right to intervene in issues outside of campus life, we should be dedicating our efforts and resources towards policies that actually make a difference on campus.” Continued on page 5