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drone image via Shutterstock

Irish drone register allowed access to personal details of 2,000 members

The Irish Aviation Authority said the error was down to a technical issue which has now been resolved.

A TECHNICAL ISSUE with the Irish Aviation Authority’s (IAA) drone register allowed registered drone owners to access personal details of others on the system.

All drone owners are required to register with the IAA and the authority said some 2,000 people have signed up to its online database.

The breach, which allowed registered users to view names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers of other people registered on the site, was brought to the attention of the authority on Sunday night.

In a statement to TheJournal.ie, the IAA revealed it was aware of four users who downloaded the file.

“These people were members of the drone or aeromodelling community, who had registered their small unmanned aircraft on the system.”

The IAA said the system was not hacked and no unauthorised access was gained by the general public, just registered users.

Upon notification of the erroneous permission the IAA worked with its system supplier, CGH to quickly resolve the matter. The system was taken offline, fixed, tested and restored within two hours. We have advised the office of the Data Protection Commissioner of this error.

The office of the Data Protection Commissioner confirmed it was investigating the breach.

Users who downloaded the file, inadvertently or otherwise, are being urged to destroy the material. They are obliged to do so in accordance with data protection laws.

“Data privacy is of the utmost importance to our organisation. We have swiftly taken measures to address the issue and to ensure that the data integrity of the Asset system is maintained,” the IAA said.

“The IAA wishes to sincerely apologise for the concern or any inconvenience as a result of this event.”

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21 Comments
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    Mute EmmaQ@gmail.com
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    Apr 8th 2016, 6:16 AM

    Thats just the Civil Service for you in a nutshell.
    They cannot and should not be trusted with anything

    84
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    Mute mickmc
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    Apr 8th 2016, 8:22 AM

    And will the civil servant who made the mistake be held accountable for their action? Think we all know the answer to that.

    35
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    Mute Mursh
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    Apr 8th 2016, 8:36 AM

    Will the private sector company that was hired to supply the software and was the cause of this data breach be held accountable. Think we know the answer to that.

    34
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    Mute mickmc
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    Apr 8th 2016, 9:32 AM

    @Mursh. I imagine if that was the case, and the civil servant who procure these contracts were doing their job properly there a high possibility that the contract will not be renew or even scrapped.

    3
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    Mute Mursh
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    Apr 8th 2016, 10:08 AM

    I still fail to see how a Civil Servant is to be held accountable for an error made by a Private Sector company as per your original comment. Perhaps you’d be so kind as to explain how you came to that conclusion?

    6
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    Mute Conor Power
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    Apr 8th 2016, 7:26 AM

    Lol “No unauthorised access was gained by general public” just people who registered, which was open to the general public.

    67
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    Mute Richard Cynical
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    Apr 8th 2016, 8:44 AM

    look on the bright side some of them might actually make a friend because of this, like a lonely drone dating site lol

    24
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    Mute Affinity
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    Apr 9th 2016, 11:11 PM

    Am I glad I did not reg with them, I felt there was something not quite right about their approach. Bunch of money grabbing opportunists

    1
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    Mute Tom Burke
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    Apr 8th 2016, 6:31 AM

    “They moved quickly to resolve the matter”

    No they didn’t.
    The information is out there.
    Do you really think that anybody who has a drone, especially for commercial reasons, will destroy commercially valuable information?

    Too late lads.
    The words horse and stable door spring to mind.

    42
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    Mute Chief
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    Apr 8th 2016, 7:24 AM

    How is it valuable information? Especially if your a commercial drone user? Because if you are a commercial drone user that the exact info you’d want people to have

    9
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    Mute Chief
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    Apr 8th 2016, 7:26 AM

    (*you’re & that’s) Sorry it’s early

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Apr 8th 2016, 9:51 AM

    It’s commercially valuably because your competitors now have a full list of the tech spec of every drone you operate.

    15
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    Mute Pat O' Brien
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    Apr 8th 2016, 6:22 AM

    ***looking to buy or sell drone? I’ll PM with details***

    33
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    Mute Michael Kavanagh
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    Apr 8th 2016, 6:38 AM

    Skyfall!

    14
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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Apr 8th 2016, 10:16 AM

    ‘Cloud control to Major Tom……….!!

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    Mute Dave Meagher
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    Apr 8th 2016, 8:23 AM

    People do not sue enough in this country, this should not be happening.

    12
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    Mute Diarmaid Mac Aonghusa
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    Apr 8th 2016, 1:26 PM

    “People do not sue enough in this country”

    WTF?

    3
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    Mute Patrick O Shea
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    Apr 8th 2016, 7:53 AM

    Considering the IAA didn’t know until recently the difference between contrails and a northern hemisphere geoengineering ongoing project that is discussed openly in the American senate and at the UN nothing surprises me about this ex footballing company. Monkeys and employment less questions asked that way standard black and white mentality only.

    12
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    Mute Dave Meagher
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    Apr 8th 2016, 9:54 AM

    So there are chem trails nuts in the US Senate as well. This is like the moon landing being a hoax , 400,000 people in NASA some hoax .

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    Mute Patrick O Shea
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    Apr 8th 2016, 2:32 PM

    Dumbest comment I have ever read Dave.

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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Apr 8th 2016, 10:29 AM

    And we are supposed to fill in a census form,guaranteed no one will access it.and its known data protection commissioner doesn’t give a damn.

    6
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