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Teachers union hit by data loss

The ICO has told off the Association of Teachers and Lecturers for losing data on 6,000 teachers.

By Nicole Kobie, 2 Feb 2010 at 09:26

A teachers union has been slapped on the wrist by the Information Commissioner's Office after it lost a laptop and memory stick holding data on over 6,000 of its members.

The devices held "sensitive personal data" - though none of it was financial - on 6,282 of the The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) union's members.

ATL has been ordered by the ICO to encrypt all its portable devices after the unencrypted laptop and stick went missing from the car of one of its staff members.

Aside from being forced to encrypt such devices, the ATL must also review its data policies, ban users from storing personal data on memory sticks, and better educate staff.

Sally Anne-Poole, head of enforcement at the ICO, said: “I encourage organisations to prevent staff from downloading large amounts of personal data."

"It is vital that portable devices, including laptops and memory sticks are encrypted if they are used to store personal information," she added in a statement. "Staff members should not be allowed to keep people’s personal details, especially sensitive personal information, on their own memory sticks."

The ICO has pushed for the ability to fine organisations up to £500,000 for data breaches, but at the moment tends to just require data storage changes to prevent losses from reoccurring.

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1 comments

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A detention of common sense

We have already seen several high-profile and embarrassing instances of laptops being stolen or left behind on trains, in taxis and in other public places. This latest incident could have been avoided by implemented and maintain tight access controls and using strong authentication techniques.
Protecting sensitive corporate and customer data means more than just having a good password policy. It requires strong policies and training to ensure that processes and best practice are adhered to. Common sense is also paramount, and in the case of the ATL, one can’t help but think that on this occasion, common sense was in very short supply.
Systems – be they laptops or desktops - must be kept as secure as current technology allows and users must ensure that access procedures and technologies are not only used properly, but safeguarded. Leaving a decryption dongle or smart card with the laptop when not actually using it is just as bad, if not worse, than writing a key access password on a Post-It Note and sticking it to the side of the monitor.
By combining the use of a dongle with a robust authentication system, a compromised dongle would pose less of a threat to the organisation and limit the damage to mission-critical systems and to users.

Stuart Hodkinson, UK general manager for Courion

By Ip_courion3a5e03 on Tuesday Feb 2

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