Tag Archives: HMRC

Avoid data loss with online backup

November 14, 2008

The HMRC is under fire after they managed to lose the personal details of around 15000 Standard Life customers. This data was stolen when on its way from the Revenue office in Newcastle to the headquarters of the company in Edinburgh. This data never made its way to Edinburgh.

The HMRC was shocked as this data contained the details such as names, date of birth, pension data etc. This data loss occurred as the HMRC frequently sends data on a CD to its headquarters in Edinburgh, when it was stolen.

This data loss incident is just one of the many that have taken place in the UK of late and it highlights the problems that you could face if you continue storing your data on such conventional storage devices like the hard disk, the pen drives, etc. Such data stored is open to loss through theft and damage and you could risk losing your valuable data.

Now with the help of online backup, you can store and backup all your data online. You do not have to worry about your data being stolen or physically damaged. As this data is stored in real time, it is uploaded daily and you can retrieve all the files that you were working on. In case of a data loss, all you need to do is login to your online data storage account an restore it.

Online backup: the futuristic way of storing and managing your data

November 3, 2008

In a recent shocking revelation, the HMRC stated that they had lost the child benefit records of 25 million people. This included bank details of 7.25 million families when they sent unencrypted data through the regular postal service.

Such incidents of data loss are not new with numerous other incidents being reported from all over the UK. Data is very vulnerable and though compared to paper files and folders it is safe, it is still prone to loss. Data stored in usual storage devices like the pen drive (USB disks) or the hard drive can easily be stolen. Even when data is stored in a computer, a hacker can easily bypass the security and steal it.

In a recent study, it was found that many employees let their family or other co-workers operate their personal computers without their supervision, highlighting security concerns. This just goes to show how easily data security can be compromised.

Many factors can result in damage or harm to these storage devices, thereby rendering the data stored useless.

The purpose of storing data in such devices is to have a backup in case the original data is lost. However, if your backup itself is not secure, then what is the use?

This is where online backup comes into the picture. With online backup, you can upload all your data into an online vault which is then accessible only with the help of your unique username and password – safer than storing data in hard disks. Since this data is updated regularly, in case of a system crash, you can retrieve the last used file from the online backup and get started without any problems.

HMRC employee deserves an award says Cabinet Office consultant

October 24, 2008

A former Cabinet Office consultant said that the HMRC employee who lost details of twenty five million child benefit recipients in 2 disks deserves an award. Harvey Mattinson who works as a consultant at communication Electronics Group said that one mistake committed by someone has completely changed the face of the world. The person who made such a mistake should be rewarded.

A year ago nobody had ever wondered or worried about security. Many incidents that have happened since have created an impact and made people look back and ask several fundamental questions.

Mattinson was an assistant director of assurance and standard when he was having a 6 year loan in the cabinet office. He said that people on top, which also includes ministers, do not understand whether and how the information can be protected. If they do not have leadership, then there is no starting point. He also added that they are not doing well at the moment to ensure that the data is secure.

It is hardly possible to eliminate risk and make the information 100% safe. The organisations should try to make it at least 80% safe. Companies should be given advice from the experts and let them know the right procedures to keep their data safe. Online storage and online data backup can be really helpful for keeping data safe and secured.