LONDON (Reuters) June 2008 ‘A computer containing “restricted” information was stolen from the office of a cabinet minister in a break in.
“There was a break-in at the constituency office of Hazel Blears on the afternoon of Saturday, June 14. Hazel was not there at the time,” a government statement said.
It continued: “The thief broke in through a window, triggering the building’s security alarm. A PC was stolen. Nothing else was taken. We understand the building’s security staff arrived within minutes.”
“There was some restricted information on the PC.” The statement added.’
Your computers may not have the same level of sensitive information than a Government Minister’s but a stolen PC can cost more than just a replacement for a computer or a loss of customer’s records. If the data on the stolen computer contains personal information it can have serious legal consequences.
Under the Data Protection Act it states quite clearly that:
“Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.”
You may only have a database of names and addresses but this information could be a potential goldmine to a would-be thief and the Data Protection Act puts the responsibility of looking after that Data squarely on your shoulders.
Fortunately there are measures that can be taken to ensure your customer’s personal data. Computer safes and industrial computer cabinets are designed to not only protect computers from theft but are robust enough to prevent even a determined vandal or thief.
Computer cabinets are even used by police forces to ensure their equipment is guarded from attack and if the Minister above had placed her PC in an industrial computer cabinet, she would have avoided the embarrassment of the data loss.
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