A recent spate of data loss incidents in Wales has caused industry experts to call for greater measures to ensure the security of private data within the country. The complacency of some council workers and the inadequacy of data security precautions have been exposed by a number of recent data incidents. IT security advisor Jason Fitzgerald has added his voice to the general clamour for improvements in Welsh data protection.

A USB flash drive found in March 2009 was at the centre of the first of the current crop of incidents. It contained personal data, medical records and legal information relating to court cases handled by the Vale of Glamorgan Council. Later, in June, it was revealed that the Welsh Assembly had misplaced over 30 laptops and 16 mobile phones, including email-packed BlackBerrys over the last 36 months. Another flash drive was lost in July, this time by Neath Port Talbot council. None of the data lost was encrypted or even password-protected. That much of the data has pertained to vulnerable groups including children has further fuelled calls for improvement. Continue reading →