Auditing systems caught Govt worker's security breach

Bates is due to reappear next week. Photo / Thinkstock

The Department of Internal Affairs says it has auditing systems in place to catch any employee caught accessing information they are not entitled to see.

Toni Lorraine Bates, 40, of Porirua, appeared at Wellington District Court today charged with 11 counts of using computer log-ins and passwords to access the system.

Bates' alleged offending took place between August 20, 2008 and December 16, 2010 while she was working in Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Police said the information she allegedly accessed was not used for any criminal purpose.

Department spokesman Tony Wallace said staff were subject to an information code of conduct.

"There are certain protocols that they've got to comply with around security, around appropriate use of computers - and that applies with access of information and usage, and the use of log-ins and passwords.''

Employees were expected to comply with those rules, he said.

Mr Wallace said the department had an auditing system to catch people using computers improperly.

"Some of our staff deal with sensitive information and we expect a high level of compliance with our procedures and a high level of integrity in dealing with that,'' he said.

"The charges are [that] she accessed information in an unauthorised way for her own immediate benefit rather than for any ongoing criminal stuff.''

Bates is due to reappear in court next week.