In brief
Richard Thomas, the information commissioner, says that after the government’s latest data protection fiasco alarm bells will be ringing in every organisation about the risks of not protecting people’s personal information properly. Thomas was speaking after the chancellor, Alistair Darling, admitted that two computer discs sent by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) had been lost in the post. The discs contain personal details relating to 25 million people. Thomas says his office is already investigating two other breaches by HMRC. “Incidents like these illustrate that any system is only as good as its weakest link,” he adds.
