December 21, 2009

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has found Northern Ireland’s Department of Finance and Personnel in breach of the Data Protection Act after approximately 37,000 people’s personal details were stolen. Stephen Peover, the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Finance and Personnel, has signed a formal Undertaking to improve data security.

The ICO, the UK’s privacy watchdog, understands that some of the 37,000 records contained sensitive personal information. The details included payroll, employment and health data, although not all records contained these categories of information.  Approximately 900 records contained bank details. The Department of Finance and Personnel informed the ICO that 12 of its laptops had been stolen and that two of  these contained personal information. The laptops were secured to desks or stored in locked cabinets.

If your business uses sensitive data (Clients or employees), then you need to be sure your data is safe.  Why not contact us for a free, no obligation session to determine where the weaknesses are in your IT procedures.

Is your business in this situation? Let us give you a call to help you now!

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The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has found Shropshire Council in breach of the Data Protection Act following the loss of an unencrypted memory stick containing sensitive information relating to a large number of adult social care clients and members of staff.

The memory stick, which contained a social care management database including sensitive health information, was lost during a postal transfer from the council’s office to a contractor in Cardiff. The ICO has established that the memory stick also contained records that were excessive for their purpose and out of date.

Mick Gorrill, Assistant Information Commissioner, said: “It is essential that organisations ensure the correct safeguards are in place when storing and transferring personal information, especially when it relates to such sensitive issues Information must be kept safe, secure and up to date – these are important”

If your business uses sensitive data (Clients or employees), then you need to be sure your data is safe.  Why not contact us for a free, no obligation session to determine where the weaknesses are in your IT procedures.

Is your business in this situation? Let us give you a call to help you now!

Request a Call-Back

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