Police laptop stolen from car
But Avon and Somerset say the data on their deputy chief constable’s machine is secure.

Yet another security breach has been reported, as Avon and Somerset police force confirmed that a laptop assigned to deputy chief constable Rob Beckley was stolen from a car last week.
Beckley currently sits on the Association of Chief Police Officers' Terrorism and Allied Matters Committee and previously led the community aspects of the national anti-terrorism strategy.
The force said the computer, which was stolen from a car near Marylebone Station in London, "is a portal, used to access the force's systems and network." It claimed that "in itself, the computer contains no information of a sensitive nature."
In addition, Avon and Somerset said that "possession of the laptop would not have been sufficient to allow anyone to gain access to the force network" since the laptop is multiple-password protected and has encryption software. It also added that no data breach has occurred as a result of the theft.
According to the report on the constabulary's web site, a force driver was in possession of the laptop, which was stolen during a "distraction-type theft."
"As soon as the theft was reported, steps were immediately instigated to maintain the continued security of the force network," it said.
It added: "The force is fully committed to doing everything possible to ensure the security of its computer network and systems, and takes any potential threat to that security very seriously."
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
The Metropolitan Police are currently investigating the laptop theft.
-
Dell brings new cybersecurity features to PowerStore, Data Domain, and PowerScale product lines
News The company is leaning into the disaggregated infrastructure and AI-powered cybersecurity trends with these latest updates
-
Why data center demand is so challenging to meet
From power demand to skills, data center buildout is a far from simple process
-
UK police fails ethical tests with "unlawful" facial recognition deployments
News A University of Cambridge team audited UK police use of the tech and found frequent ethical and legal shortcomings
-
Hackers love the UK, but not for the reason you think
News Ex-Met cyber specialist explains why the UK is such a popular destination for cyber criminals
-
UK cops to lose access to Europol's cyber crime resources after Brexit
News Cyber cops will be on their own once Britain leaves the EU
-
Police pursue cloud first IT strategy
News The National Police Technology Council's guidelines attempt to standardise IT deployment
-
NGO director guilty of denying police his device passwords
News Muhammad Rabbani refused to divulge iPhone and MacBook passwords at Heathrow airport
-
20% of Manchester police rely on Windows XP
News London's Metropolitan Police refused to disclose any up-to-date figures
-
Should police have powers to sack officers lacking IT skills?
News Reform produces a 10-point plan to address policing's digital skills gap
-
Uber faces criminal investigation over 'Greyball' tool
News DoJ investigates alleged use of software to help drivers evade regulators