Llandudno, North Wales 13th January 2010
New fines announced by ICO of £500,000 for data serious data breaches
It was announced yesterday that the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will now be able to issue fines of up to £500,000 for serious data breaches.
The new rule has already been approved by Jack Straw MP, Secretary of State for Justice and the new powers are expected to come into force on 6th April 2010.
The ICO is the independent authority that is responsible for regulating and enforcing the access to and use of personal information.
This news follows several high profile data losses in recent years by various institutions, including the NHS and Ministry of Defence. The ICO said that it had received notice of 711 security breaches since 2007 which has left people’s personal data at risk.
In an official statement, Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham said that he hoped the penalty would encourage companies to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act. “These penalties are designed to act as a deterrent” he said.
By employing best practice data backup, companies can ensure that copies of their data are held securely and offsite, and are accessible only by the authorised account holder. In contrast, this highlights the potential danger faced by many smaller companies who backup to external hard drives and pen drives should these drives be lost or stolen.
“Data backup is one of the key areas for SMEs wanting to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act” said Felicity Burton, Marketing Manager for RISC Group. “Our range of online and off site backup solutions allow businesses to meet the guidelines on data security more effectively”, she added.
RISC Group IT Solutions is a leading provider of online data backup services in the UK and has worked with SMEs for over 10 years to promote secure data backup solutions to ensure the protection of data for both businesses and individuals.
RISC Group IT Solutions and the ICO are committed to working with voluntary, public and private bodies to help them comply with the Data Protection Act 1998.
For guidance advice on the new penalties please visit the ICO website www.ico.gov.uk
For more information please contact Felicity Burton
