Alzheimer’s Society forgets to lock-up unencrypted laptops!

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is reminding charities that personal information must be handled securely after finding the Alzheimer’s Society in breach of the Data Protection Act.

One of the unencrypted laptops contained personal details including names, addresses, national insurance numbers and salary details for about 1,000 staff across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Sally-anne Poole, Head of Investigations at the ICO, said: “A thousand staff members’ details were stored on unencrypted laptops. This is unacceptable; portable devices must be encrypted if they are used to store personal information. It is vital that all organisations ensure personal information is handled securely and that appropriate staff have adequate training in this area.”

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