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UK - ICO publishes revised privacy-protection handbook

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Tueasday June 9, 2009

ISPI Clips 133.161: UK - ICO publishes revised privacy-protection handbook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This From: Out-Law News, June 8, 2009
http://www.out-law.com

Privacy regulator publishes revised privacy-protection handbook
http://www.out-law.com/page-10069

OUT-LAW News, 08/06/2009

Privacy regulator the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has told
companies that they should follow similar rules to Government departments to
make sure that privacy protection forms part of new computer systems right
from the start.

After HM Revenue and Customs lost 25 million people's personal data on two
CDs in 2007 the Government agreed that all departments would undertake
privacy impact assessments before creating new systems or modifying the way
they handle personal information.

The ICO has launched a guide to such assessments for organisations and has
called on them to undertake assessments in the same way that Government
departments now must do.

"The ICO encourages all organisations to incorporate data protection
safeguards into any new project involving personal information," an ICO
statement said.

Privacy impact assessments help organisations to discover at the outset of
new systems design what effect changes will have on the personal information
they store and process.

"It is essential that before introducing new systems and technologies, which
could accelerate the growth of a surveillance society, full consideration is
given to the impact on individuals and that safeguards are in place to
minimise intrusion," said Jonathan Bamford, assistant commissioner at the
ICO.

"For the public to have trust in an organisation, individuals must be
confident that their information is held securely and processed in line with
the Data Protection Principles," he said. "Each time someone gives away
their personal information this not only puts the data at risk, they can
leave a footprint creating a detailed picture of aspects of their daily
lives."  <| Powered by www.ISPIClips.com |>

The ICO has published an updated PIA [privacy impact assessment] handbook to
guide organisations through the process of conducting an assessment.

"Government and corporate reputations can be fragile and easily undermined,"
says the handbook. "In order to maintain and enhance their reputations these
organisations need to act responsibly in relation to key issues like
privacy, and to be seen to be acting responsibly. Experience shows that once
an organisation's reputation is damaged and trust is lost it is then very
hard to regain that trust."

"Privacy now poses risks which need to be professionally managed in a
similar way to other categories of risk. Organisations that handle personal
data need to monitor their ongoing operations, whether they are dealing with
clients, employees, or the public in general," it says.

Bamford said that improvements to the handbook are designed to help
organisations to make sure they conduct proper assessments.

"The new PIA handbook is more accessible and will aim to assist
organisations in protecting people's personal information and ensuring that
privacy safeguards are built into systems at the outset rather than bolted
on as an inadequate and expensive afterthought," he said.

See:

The PIA handbook
http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/pia_handbook_html_v2/index.html


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