– When it comes to such large gaps and breaches of the law in privacy, Nav needs extra funds to do a good clean-up, says Tekna president Elisabet Haugsbø. It is the trade union that organizes civil engineers and IT engineers. Last week it became known that the Norwegian Data Protection Authority has found 12 breaches of the law relating to privacy at Nav, and believes that the agency has deliberately broken the law. The head of Nav thought it was a serious message, and wanted to work better in the future. The Tekna president warns that the politicians are now in favor of a short-term solution to improve people’s privacy in Nav. – It is important that the clean-up is long-term and that it does not become a patch-up session with short-term measures. It is very important that the politicians now allocate enough funds so that we can have a safe and good Nav going forward, says Elisabet Haugsbø. How much Nav needs to clean up the 12 privacy breaches and to get a more up-to-date IT system, the Tekna president will not say. But Haugsbø believes that it will be a significant amount. A LOT OF MONEY: Tekna president Elisabeth Haugsbø believes that Nav needs a lot of money to get privacy in place. Photo: Anne Cecilie Remen / news – There is a need for quite a lot of funds, because this is a large and complex organization which is a very important foundation stone for Norwegian society. Here we are talking about whether quite a lot of money is needed, says Haugsbø. Nav has over 50 different IT systems that store various personally sensitive information about the country’s population, including finances, mental and physical health, family relationships, social benefits and medical history. Many of the IT systems are several decades old. The majority of the 22,500 Nav employees have full access to all this information. This lack of access management is among the most serious breaches that the Norwegian Data Protection Authority has responded to. Urgent action Now comes the demands for clean-up from the Storting. On Wednesday, Employment and Inclusion Minister Tonje Brenna (Ap) had to answer how the government will ensure that the large agency is cleaned up. – People must have trust in Nav and be confident that the personal information they have given to Nav is well looked after, says Employment and Inclusion Minister Tonje Brenna to news. – Then we need to know that the privacy rules are followed, that Nav has systems that work, so that each one of us is sure that the information we have given Nav is confidential and is processed accordingly, emphasizes Brenna. – Will Nav get extra money to carry out this clean-up? – Now I will first have a meeting with Nav and hear what the most relevant measures will be to improve the situation, she says. Want more information from Brenna But SV’s labor policy spokesperson Freddy André Øvstegård was not satisfied with the answers Brenna gives. WANT ANSWERS: SV’s Freddy André Øvstegård wants answers to how much the government knew about the privacy breaches in Nav Photo: Anne Cecilie Remen / news – It’s nice that Brenna emphasizes how serious this case is and that it is important to clean up Nav. But we need more information, and clear clarification about what the government has known about the privacy breaches, says Øvstegård. He wants Brenna to come back to the Storting and explain in more detail what the ministry has known about privacy in Nav since 2011, when the last major inspection took place. At the time, the Norwegian Data Protection Authority was also ordered to implement measures to strengthen privacy protection and access management for Nav employees. So it didn’t happen. – This matter must be followed up further. I would like to get an answer to what the government has known along the way about the privacy breaches in Nav. Here, Brenna must answer more and come back with more information to the Storting, says Øvstegård. He believes that it is urgent to clean up Nav. – We cannot have it so that 22,000 employees have access to all information about the citizens. And then people must be notified when Nav employees access their folders, says Øvstegård. He emphasizes that it is important that Nav receives funds to clean up the organization and invest in necessary and secure IT systems. – The law must be followed. Measures must be implemented immediately so that people do not get into the files if they do not have official needs, and here we must provide the means and tools needed to ensure that the law is followed, says Øvstegård.
ttn-69
It will cost a lot to clean up – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
