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Update: The water regulator OFWAT concludes shoddy investigation into the potential massive water bill data breach.

We reported that a potential massive water bill data breach had occurred as an individual on linkedin a professional business social media networking site was openly selling business customer water billing account information such as

 

Customer details and email contacts.

 

Water account switching data.

 

The customer supply point id’s (SPIDS)

 

Drainage charge information.

 

Area based drainage charge information.

 

Full customer information.

 

The water regulator OFWAT was passed evidence that water billing account information was for sale.

The results of the water regulators investigation is that a representative from OFWAT telephoned the individual but firstly introduced themselves as the water regulator OFWAT and asked the individual a Mr David Cooper a Senior Sales Executive at Digital Picnic Ltd about the data that he was clearly touting on Linkedin, he apparently denied he had any data and the post was taken down.

OFWAT say they are satisfied no customer data breach has occurred! A representative from OFWAT also said a letter would be sent released by a Director of OFWAT giving details of what action was taken and the results of the investigation.

 

H20 Building Services has been contacted by a representative of OFWAT, they requested that our previous “breaking news” story relating to the data breach be removed from our news blog and social media networks in particular the words “potential data breach” as in OFWAT’s opinion there was no “potential data breach”. This in itself is puzzling as why did OFWAT investigate this issue in the first place if they say no data breach occurred?

 

To put this into context, in the right hands the data of business and potentially public sector water account billing information containing specific key details is worth £100’s millions to utility consultants and if as the facts clearly show this data is available on the open market then the water regulator has a duty to thoroughly investigate. To simply telephone the business that is clearly able to distribute this data and introduce yourself as the water industry regulator then the company is of course going to deny that they are potentially supplying data protected under law – shoddy investigation.

 

You decide, the facts speak for themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Potential massive water bill data breach

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