by Philip G. Coggin

Created on: November 30, 2007   Last Updated: December 03, 2007

Britain and Data Protection.

Data Protection and how safe are you?

It was inevitable that I would write about this subject, it is something that has bothered me for absolutely years, lately several items of news have brought matters of information loss and poor security with regard to data protection to the fore.
When you talk to your utility companies about almost anything with regard to personal information whether about yourself or someone else, you will quickly be reminded of the DATA PROTECTION ACT. How much can we trust these utilities and other public support companies with our detailed information?

The average person in Britain is said to have some of their details on more than 700 databases throughout the country.
Our government departments such as the NHS (National Health Service) and other pension and unemployment services also have our details; these details could be spread on computers from one end of the country to the other.

I don't believe governments and I never have, when they tell us that our personal details like addresses and telephone numbers etc are safe.
Just talk to any government department and they will quote the Data Protection act at you every chance they get as soon as you ask them for any information about almost any subject, even if that information appertains to yourself or is relevant to you.
I have chosen to write at this time because it has just come to light that one of our British Government establishments has lost a small amount of its citizens/public information, when I said small that really was a tongue in cheek statement because they have been quoted as losing some 25 million individuals personal information. (Information of a very sensitive nature) (This could be used to steal identities and bank details for example)

Often people who are not cleared to use or access sensitive data do so anyway, even though there are supposed to be rules and guide lines these are often simply not followed or ignored, as is supposed to have been the case with our Inland Revenue and the 25 million lost personal details that had been placed on a CD and posted to another department but lost in the post, not registered or able to be tracked.
I would like to stress that before this revelation I have never believed that this information or any other information would ever be safe given the vast quantity held and that the information is spread over such distances, another important aspect also is the amount of people who must have access to this information.

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