P2020-ND-063

On Monday March 23, an employee with the Organization went to the courthouse to meet with the friend of a client, who had the client?s cellphone. Due to Covid-19 concerns, the employee placed the cellphone in a plastic bag and put the bag in the centre console of his vehicle. The employee did not return to the office to review the contents of the cellphone as staff were working from home during the coronavirus outbreak. The Organization reported that the employee left the phone in the locked vehicle thinking it was a secure place given that he was in the process of moving and any virus on the phone would die before he reviewed the cellphone. On March 27, 2020, the employee noticed the vehicle was broken into, but did not notice the cellphone was missing until sometime later when the client called the Organization. The employee informed his supervisor of the incident. The Organization reported that the phone was locked and did not have a SIM card.