ICO: Firms need to recognise data's value

2009-11-12

Organisations have been told they need to recognise that people's data is a valuable asset and they should take steps to protect it.

Mick Gorrill, the assistant commissioner with responsibility for investigations at the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), said that national insurance numbers, health records and bank details are all of value.

He encouraged organisations, particularly NHS bodies, to make sure that the level of security they have in place is suitable for the kind of information they are protecting, so that data breach incidents can be avoided.

"Many breaches are avoidable and are often the result of poor management processes," he asserted.

New powers are set to come into force in 2010 to allow the ICO to impose substantial monetary penalties on companies where there is evidence of a reckless or deliberate data protection breach.

The ICO in Scotland recently marked the 25th anniversary of data protection regulation with a roadshow to highlight that people's privacy rights are more important than ever.

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