October 2011
Featured in this insight: Business & enterprise, IT & telecommunications
ICO survey finds declining public confidence in online data protection: Following a survey by watchdog ICO of 2,500 UK-based individuals and 800 businesses, a report warns that consumer trust is plummeting due to a massive 58% increase in data security breaches this year.
The ICO report said that almost three-quarters of individuals believe that online companies are not keeping their details secure.
Information Commissioner Christopher Graham commented: “I’m encouraged that the private sector is waking up to its data protection responsibilities, with unprompted awareness of the [Data Protection] Act’s principles higher than ever. However, the sector does not seem to be putting its knowledge to good use. The fact is that security breaches in the private sector are on the rise, and public confidence in good information handling is declining."
In addition, Mr Graham pointed out that a brand's reputation could be seriously damaged when they fail to handle data properly and he further reminded UK businesses that they risk incurring a fine of up to £500,000 if they fail to comply with the Data Protection Act.
View more of our sector specific insights: Business & enterprise, IT & telecommunications
