THE Bishop of Guildford, the Rt Revd Andrew Watson, is among the many bishops who’ve urged parishes to not let the APCS data breach deter them from the Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) process, telling them: “Let’s not let the hackers win!”
“I used to be so sorry to listen to in regards to the data breach involving quite so many dioceses and other organisations across the country — and am grateful for the speedy response of our diocesan team at Church House Guildford once we became aware of it,” he said in a press release last week.
“I pray that no significant harm will come from this malicious attack, either for people or for our vision of a growing church at the center of every community; and hugely appreciate the labor of so many clergy and lay volunteers, and their willingness to undergo DBS checking in our quest to turn into a safer Church. Let’s not let the hackers win!”
The Church Times reported last week that ten dioceses were affected by the breach, which has put tons of of parish volunteers and staff who submitted information for DBS checks liable to identity theft (News, 29 August).
The Guildford notice said that APCS worked with 17 dioceses. It advised parish officers to inform volunteers who may now be reluctant to undergo DBS checks that their concern was shared, but that the checking process was “a critical tool in safer recruitment and stays a requirement under the Safer Recruitment Guidance of Church of England in certain circumstances”.
The Bishop of Berwick, in Newcastle diocese, the Rt Revd Mark Wroe, said: “Our personal data is hugely precious and it’s deeply concerning when our trust is undermined in this type of way. . . Thank you to everyone coping with this on behalf of their PCCs in your gracious and sort responses at this anxious time. My prayers are with all those that are affected, whether volunteers in parishes, postholders, or our own diocesan staff.”
The Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, in an email to his diocese on Wednesday, wrote: “When such incidents occur, there may be a risk that they could make people more reluctant to supply themselves for voluntary roles within the Church, or to have interaction with the necessities of our Safeguarding practice. That is comprehensible — but I might urge you to not be discouraged by this. Creating a secure and healthy culture for all of our churches is our highest priority and we mustn’t allow this setback — significant though it’s — to discourage us from this commitment.”
Some dioceses have reported that the National Church Institutions have advised that they don’t consider it’s needed to interchange driving licences or passports, as the pictures related to these documents weren’t breached. But a few of those affected by the breach have already proceeded with this step.
One member of the laity within the diocese of Oxford said that his wife had spent “hours” attempting to cancel her passport and driving licence but learned that the UK Passport Office doesn’t include a knowledge breach as a legitimate reason for requiring a latest passport. To record it as lost or stolen required against the law or other reference number, while ActionFraud had said that “they’re only interested if fraud has actually happened”.
“As a former IT data specialist, it really annoys me that individuals are so lax with data,” he said.
A lay person within the diocese of Coventry said that the breach had caused deep concern in his church, including worry about “the heavy workload and responsibility that is for our volunteer non- skilled parish safeguarding officers. Talk again of why this will not be an expert, paid post. Many concerns, too, over parishioners which are overwhelmed with the renewing of driving licences and passports, and credit checks etc. and those who cannot afford to renew this stuff.” The list of who was affected remained “murky” he said.
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