Friday 11th January 2008
The UKs justice select committee is calling on the government to introduce tougher laws to protect private and personal information.
According to a study by the committee, new criminal penalties should be introduced for security breaches relating to private information, a new reporting system is needed for data loss incidents and the information commissioner should be given new enforcement powers over protection of private data.
The report, published by the House of Commons committee following the loss of millions of personal and financial records by HM Revenue & Customs, outlines key points extracted from evidence received from information commissioner Richard Thomas.
Describing itself as "extremely concerned" about the rise in cases involving personal data loss by government bodies or contractors, the committee of MPs concludes that "there is evidence of a widespread problem within government relating to establishing systems for data protection and operating them adequately".
Alan Beith, chairman of the justice select committee, said: "The scale of the data loss by government bodies and contractors is truly shocking but the evidence we have had points to further hidden problems."
The information commissioner warned during summer 2007 that there was a risk of extensive security lapses in a wide range of organisations and his concerns have proved to be correct, with evidence of a widespread data protection problem within government.
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