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Council laptop lapses

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Council laptop lapses

Two local authorities have been fined by the InformationCommissioner's Office for data protection breaches after laptopscontaining unencrypted information went missing.

Ealing Council and Hounslow Council were fined £80,000 and£70,000, respectively. Ealing's breach arose because two laptopswere stolen from the home of an employee. Hounslow's breach arosebecause it did not have a written contract with EalingCouncil.

Tom Morrison, IP partner at Rollits LLP, says: "It has beenmade crystal clear that every organisation that uses laptopcomputers must make sure that they are encrypted and not justpassword protected.

"If you outsource a function-such as the processing ofpayroll or in this case the operation of an out of hours service-toa contractor then it is you rather than the contractor who retainsprimary liability for compliance with the Act."

Article first published in New Law Journal 17 February 2011www.newlawjournal.co.uk

This article is for general guidance only. It provides useful information in a concise form. Action should not be taken without obtaining specific legal advice.

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This article is for general guidance only. It provides useful information in a concise form. Action should not be taken without obtaining specific legal advice.
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