The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has released a report saying that the general public is at constant risk of becoming an easy target for online fraudsters. The results of the research showed that after the outfit managed to get 200 hard drives, 20 memory sticks and a dozen of mobiles, just buying them online or at trade fairs, it turned out that more than 34,000 files with personal or business information were left on the storage devices. Some of them contained sensitive health and financial data, and 2/3 of the hard drives had enough personal details to commit an identity theft.
The matter is that a lot of people believe that pressing the “delete” button will mean that the file is gone forever, but this data can actually be easily recovered. Taking into account the staggering number of headlines all over the world about losing important information in sensitive sectors, it is really frustrating that such a lax approach to personally identifiable data is pervasive. Although the report in question focuses more on the consumer, everyone knows about human folly leading to information disasters at companies in both the public and private sectors.
This point of view is shared by security company Sophos, which points out that this problem isn’t simple and reveals yet another example of people not paying 100% attention to where their sensitive information sits. Another survey of the company found that only 5% of British IT managers in the public sector act on data security due to the threat of ICO fines. However, the industry should do more to help the education. So, while 5% are reacting because of realizing the actual threats around protecting information, a staggering 95% aren’t that worried.
According to the survey, 65% of people surveyed pass on their old mobiles, PCs, and laptops to other users, while 20% would sell their devices on. However, this figure increased to 31% among 18-24 year olds. As for the Information Commissioner’s Office, it’s in a really difficult position, as the powers are already set. The punishment depends on the kind of company you are looking for: with a $500,000 fine levied on a financial institution, the impact will be minimal. However, if you press an SME for such punishment, it’ll be wiped out.
The matter is that a lot of people believe that pressing the “delete” button will mean that the file is gone forever, but this data can actually be easily recovered. Taking into account the staggering number of headlines all over the world about losing important information in sensitive sectors, it is really frustrating that such a lax approach to personally identifiable data is pervasive. Although the report in question focuses more on the consumer, everyone knows about human folly leading to information disasters at companies in both the public and private sectors.
This point of view is shared by security company Sophos, which points out that this problem isn’t simple and reveals yet another example of people not paying 100% attention to where their sensitive information sits. Another survey of the company found that only 5% of British IT managers in the public sector act on data security due to the threat of ICO fines. However, the industry should do more to help the education. So, while 5% are reacting because of realizing the actual threats around protecting information, a staggering 95% aren’t that worried.
According to the survey, 65% of people surveyed pass on their old mobiles, PCs, and laptops to other users, while 20% would sell their devices on. However, this figure increased to 31% among 18-24 year olds. As for the Information Commissioner’s Office, it’s in a really difficult position, as the powers are already set. The punishment depends on the kind of company you are looking for: with a $500,000 fine levied on a financial institution, the impact will be minimal. However, if you press an SME for such punishment, it’ll be wiped out.
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