Law enforcement agencies need a balance between privacy and evidence
Mark Thompson, senior manager in KPMG’s cyber security practice, comments on the news that Police are reportedly hacking into hundreds of people’s voicemails, text messages and emails without their knowledge. He says:
“The lawful interception of data is one of many requirements telecoms organisations are required to adhere to. To do so they often have to put in place significant IT systems and supporting processes to ensure requests are processed in a robust manner and to protect individuals who’s data is not sought after. As we move ever closer to a world where our homes, cars and the things we wear or use become connected via the internet, law enforcement agencies are likely to have an increasing need to access this information to enable them to investigate and build evidence to support their cases.”
“Balancing the need for privacy and continuing to support the police with their law enforcement activities has increasingly become a challenge for telecoms organisations. With security and privacy high on the list of worries for the consumer, according to the latest KPMG study on consumer perceptions of internet connected devices, today’s revelation coupled with the fall-out from Snowden’s leaks has led to a lot of questions on where the privacy balance lays.”
