Records related to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre were mistakenly published on the Libraries Tasmania website, but the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority (PAHSMA) clarified that these records were not part of the information originally intended for publication. About 560 records transferred to Tasmanian Archives, a part of Libraries Tasmania, went live on May 5 and were promptly removed last Friday. PAHSMA’s CEO, Will Flamsteed, stated that a careful review indicated the records did not pertain to the massacre or general visitors to the historic site.
Despite the error being attributed to human error at State Archives and not a cyber attack, one record involving ghost tour guides did contain personal data such as birth dates, addresses, and phone numbers. According to Mr. Flamsteed, the incident was a result of human error at State Archives, and he reassured that no visitor information was compromised. While some employee information was briefly made live, it did not include sensitive details like tax or banking information.
The acknowledgment of the mistake and the swift removal of the records reflect the authorities’ commitment to rectifying the situation and protecting individuals’ privacy affected by the inadvertent publication of the records. The incident underscores the importance of robust data management procedures, especially when dealing with sensitive historical records.
