Ward expresses 'serious concern' following reports of homeowners' data breach

Deputy Charles Ward has expressed serious concern following reports of a data breach affecting personal information belonging to homeowners in the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) scheme.

The breach involves a cyberattack on a framework engineering firm working with the Housing Agency, with the full scope and impact yet to be clarified.

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“The Housing Agency’s response to date is unacceptable and fails to inspire confidence,” Deputy Ward said.

“Families entrusted highly sensitive information to this process, believing it would be handled with care. They are entitled to complete transparency and clear, honest answers — not partial statements or minimisation of serious risks.”

The incident occurs at a critical time, with multiple appeals, ethics complaints, and Freedom of Information requests ongoing. Deputy Ward confirmed that his office is maintaining a detailed dossier of all relevant correspondence, breach notifications, and records, to preserve the integrity of the information and to inform any formal or legal avenues that may become necessary.

“We are deeply concerned by reports of a cyber attack involving one of the framework engineers working for the Housing Agency. DCB Downgraded currently has active appeals, ethics complaints, and Freedom of Information requests pending, and we are worried that this incident may compromise access to critical information needed to ensure fair and transparent adjudication,” added Marti McElhinney, Spokesperson for DCB Downgraded.

Deputy Ward has called on the Housing Agency, the Minister, and the Data Protection Commission to provide full clarification on the timeline, nature of compromised data, and the steps being taken to safeguard records and affected homeowners. “Homeowners should retain all correspondence and contact my office for guidance,” he said. “We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to press for full transparency, ensuring that nothing relevant is lost or overlooked. Families deserve nothing less.”