Ontario's privacy commissioner has ordered computer security to be strengthened after a nurse lost a USB memory stick containing information about more than 83,000 patients. It had been collected during H1N1 flu vaccination clinics between October 23 and December 15. The data included names, government-issued ID numbers and personal health information. Ann Cavoukian declared that patient records had to be kept safely and ordered the health bureaucracy "to immediately implement procedures to ensure that any personal health information stored on any mobile devices [laptops, memory sticks, etc] is strongly encrypted." The Ontario Ministry of Health will check regularly to ensure that health information is being handled correctly.

"While I accept that custodians may not be able to totally eliminate the loss or theft of mobile devices, what I cannot accept is that the information contained therein is not encrypted," the commissioner said. "Unauthorized access to health information stored on these devices that happen to be lost or stolen may clearly be prevented through the use of encryption technology. However, despite strong incentives to avoid privacy breaches and the availability of encryption to prevent such breaches, unencrypted mobile devices continued to be used. This is both distressing and completely unacceptable." ~ CBC News, Jan 14