Some of the data collected from online forms from the City of Maple Ridge’s website has been stored in the U.S., contrary to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
In a letter Tuesday, the city’s corporate officer Laura Benson tells some residents that it’s contacting them because they had submitted an online form to the city within the past seven years. That information was stored outside Canada, in Manhattan, Kansas, by CivicPlus, contrary to the privacy act, the letter said.
CivicPlus is the city’s website provider.
However, none of those files contained any social insurance numbers, banking information, date of birth or credit card information.
“Both the city and CivicPlus deeply regret that this storage violation occurred,” said Benson.
In addition, the data was encrypted with access only by certain CivicPlus or city staff, she said.
The letter also notes that information from recreation registration or property tax payments is stored in Canada independently of the city’s website.
“As soon as the data storage violation was known to the city, we worked closely and continuously with our Internet service provider CivicPlus, until the issue was resolved,” Benson said in the letter.
The files are now located on a Canadian server.
CivicPlus also apologized in a letter, saying it discovered the error when reviewing its service levels and reassured residents that information was never shared outside CivicPlus.
“There is not now, nor has there ever been, any indication or suspicion of unauthorized access or breach of security,” CivicPlus said.
It said further that once the data was transferred to a Canadian server, the backup data in the U.S. would be destroyed.
“CivicPlus will be providing the city with verification of both the migration and the destruction of data that was housed in the U.S.,” CivicPlus said.
Benson said that residents received notification letters, “depending on how they interacted with the city’s website.
“Some people signed up for accounts so that they could receive notifications for things such as road construction or council meeting agendas. Other citizens interacted by submitting an online form such as filing a bylaw complaint or submitting a claim,” Benson added.
The city opted for a direct e-mail connection with people because it thought it would be a better way of reaching people than issuing a news release.
pmelnychuk@mapleridgenews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter