Probe that TSTT data breach, Gonzales

THE EDITOR: Telecommunications Services of TT (TSTT) CEO Lisa Agard apologised on Friday to the hundreds of thousands of customers who were affected by the breach of TSTT data. She claimed that “we were busily focused on identifying the problems" that occurred due to the breach on October 9, and therefore “neglected, perhaps, to communicate effectively with them."

Agard needs to explain to its over one million customers of this majority state-owned telecommunications provider if it was prudent to allow the Minister of Public Utilities, Marvin Gonzales, to announce in Parliament that the management and staff of TSTT will be sharing a $6 million bonus days after the discovery this serious breach.

Apart from being an embarrassment to the minister, the entire country needs to be told if this bonus payment will be allowed to continue since we are unaware of the potential future legal liability to come from those who may be seriously affected by the breach. Will taxpayers have to foot that bill?

The then CEO claimed that initial efforts were made to address the ability to pay online and managing queries, while in hindsight “we should have kept our valued customers better informed about the situation."

TSTT somehow managed to communicate during this period a rate increase in its Lite package, and a reminder of disconnection if any outstanding bills were not paid promptly.

We all had to endure inconvenience and disruptions to transact our business at an increased cost. And not being entitled to bonuses, we instead had to endure this insensitive, callous attitude from TSTT.

I call upon Gonzales to conduct an in-depth investigation into this serious data breach and to act decisively if there is any evidence of negligence and poor corporate governance by those in charge.

R KHAN

San Fernando