Industry Expert Calls for Data Protection Laws to Be Toughened Up

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The high rate of sensitive data loss could make ID fraud escalate to an unforeseen level, according to Gary Clark, VP EMEA, SafeNet. Public sector and private companies have lost nearly 40 million items of sensitive data in the last year, including names, addresses, patient records and bank account details. Gary Clark is calling on the Government to introduce legislation, which ensures that any organisation adequately protects the data it holds on customers and UK citizens. This would demand private and public sector organisations to identify process weaknesses, adopt robust security standards and encrypt all sensitive data. If found to not meet the required standards, charges should be brought and fines levied.

There were 77,500 reported cases of identity fraud in Britain, while the cost of the problem exceeds £1.5 billion annually. Clark warns that both these figures are likely to be much higher in 2008.

"The UK public should be able to rely on organisations, such as banks and Government departments, to take care of their most sensitive details", said Clark.

"However, given the stream of recent data loss disasters, it is clear that the typical approach to protecting this data is not good enough."

"Courier error of discs or laptop loss, all containing unencrypted data, is unacceptable. Especially as the technology and the knowledge exist to prevent this happening. It is not surprising the public's trust is wavering, and taking serious legislative steps is the only way to rebuild it, and stem the data loss flow."

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