It’s never fun to be caught on a traffic offense. It’s especially rough if the fine is for $835! That happened to a Winnipeg motorist last year. In a program to reduce the backlog of traffic cases, he was able to negotiate a reduced fine. However, a computer “glitch” lost the paperwork and now Manitoba Justice is asking for him to provide the documents that they lost.

A large and important organization like Manitoba Justice shouldn’t have to deal with this. If their servers have issues, it’s going to give them and many of us a major headache! So how does something like this happen?

Server & Program Maintenance

A “glitch” can be anything from a program error, to a virus, to human error. Programs should be written to avoid human error. However, these programs aren’t perfect. Additionally, over time, programs can become corrupt. Additional programs are loaded, and hardware deteriorates. This will inevitably cause programs to begin having problems. Another program could be incompatible and may cause errors. A deteriorating storage component may have corrupted a file or piece of code.

To avoid these glitches an IT department needs to stay on top of everything. They need to keep data back-ups, update programs & operating systems, and replace components before they go out. Generally, if you are on top of this, you will have much smaller chance of a “glitch” happening.

Don’t Let Malware in.

When a “glitch” is caused by Malware, there was something missed by IT. Malware can come in all kinds of forms, but with the proper precautions, this shouldn’t happen.

For starters, any organization’s security policy should include anti-virus protection. Additionally, it should include malware avoidance training for everyone in the organization and anyone who may need access to the organization. This training should occur during initial on-boarding and reoccur at set intervals through the year with updated training.

So, when it comes to paying for a traffic offense, many may wish for a glitch to occur, relieving them of the obligation. However, we should expect every organization to follow correct IT principles to keep our information safe (even if that information means you need to pay a fine).