Data protection breaches could prompt a £500,000 fine
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has today confirmed a revamp of UK data protection laws which could see fines of up to £500,000 handed out to those in breach of regulations. There has been growing concern within the public domain about the number of data protection breaches revealed over the last few months, many of which have been of a very serious nature. But will the increase in potential fines be enough?
There is no doubt that the potential for a £500,000 fine will open the eyes of many UK businesses, and especially government departments, to the risks of data protection issues. However, many of the most serious breaches of late have been down to human error and ultimately there is nothing which you can do to alleviate this potential problem. The real value for UK companies is in additional training which will be costly but ultimately could be very cost effective.
The Internet and the ever-growing dependence upon computer systems and data storage facilities have opened up many UK businesses to the threat of data theft. The cyber crooks of today are very knowledgeable about the Internet, computer systems and have shown themselves to be very adaptable in their approach to online and off-line fraud. The increase in fines will focus the minds of many companies but ultimately it will be training which will make the UK business arena more secure.
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