Private sector data breaches spike 58 per cent

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The number of data breaches in the private sector has skyrocketed this year, with 58 per cent more reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the 2011/12 period.

Yet the ICO said it was happy to see the private sector getting a grip on understanding the Data Protection Act, with many more realising the law required them to protect personal information.

However, a quarter of businesses still do not understand that the Data Protection Act requires them to protect personal information, as public confidence in how companies secure information has plummeted.

The fact is that security breaches in the private sector are on the rise, and public confidence in good information handling is declining.

An ICO survey showed three quarters of the general public believe online companies are not keeping their details safe.

Less than half of individuals surveyed believe organisations process their data in a fair and proper manner.

The fact is that security breaches in the private sector are on the rise, and public confidence in good information handling is declining.

“I’m encouraged that the private sector is waking up to its data protection responsibilities, with unprompted awareness of the Act’s principles higher than ever. However, the sector does not seem to be putting its knowledge to good use,” said information commissioner Christopher Graham.

“The fact is that security breaches in the private sector are on the rise, and public confidence in good information handling is declining. Businesses seem to know what they need to do – now they just need to get on with doing it.”

The ICO was pleased to see companies are finally recognising the regulator’s role, even though 30 per cent still do not know it enforces the Data Protection Act.

Almost half of companies in the private sector did not understand the ICO was the guardian of the law. That was up from a fifth of private firms a year ago.

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