Malcolm Rivera
Data protection breaches are a risk to any business that handles people’s personal data. This includes employees and members of the public. The more data that’s processed, the greater the risk. A personal data breach is defined as 'any security incident that results in the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data'. The sensitivity of the affected data can impact the severity of the breach and the response that’s warranted. For example, a patient’s leaked medical history has more explicit potential to cause damage than their contact information.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Data sensitivity | The sensitivity of the data will impact the severity of the breach and the response that's warranted. For example, a patient's leaked medical history has more explicit potential to cause damage than their contact information. |
| Personal data | Personal data breach is defined as 'any security incident that results in the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data'. |
| Data protection laws | In the UK, businesses must follow General Data Protection Regulation as outlined in The Data Protection Act 2018. |
| Cyber security compliance | This can include restricting employee access, backing up data, and having recovery plans in place. |
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What You'll Learn
The sensitivity of the data
However, businesses should also be cautious when handling data that reveals an individual's economic, social, cultural, mental, or genetic information. For example, a patient's leaked medical history has more explicit potential to cause harm than their contact information. These types of records are a common example of confidentiality data protection breaches.
The impact of a breach can vary depending on the nature and sensitivity of the data involved. In the UK, businesses must follow the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as outlined in The Data Protection Act 2018. This legislation aims to ensure the fair, lawful, and transparent use of personal information. Complying with GDPR involves using personal data safely on a day-to-day basis, which can be challenging for businesses that regularly collect user data, such as those with e-commerce sites.
To uphold data protection, businesses may need to implement measures such as restricting employee access, backing up data, and having recovery plans in place. By doing so, they can minimise the risk of a breach and protect sensitive information.
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Human error
In addition, employees may mishandle personal data without realising the potential consequences. For example, they might share sensitive information on social media or discuss it in public places. This could lead to unauthorised disclosure or alteration of personal data.
Furthermore, human error can result in the loss or theft of physical documents containing personal data. This could include leaving documents in unsecured locations or failing to shred them properly before disposal. Such incidents can lead to unauthorised access or destruction of personal data.
To prevent human error-related data protection breaches, businesses should provide comprehensive training to employees on data protection practices. This includes educating employees about the types of personal data, the potential consequences of mishandling data, and the importance of adhering to security protocols. Additionally, businesses should implement robust data protection policies and regularly review and update them to reflect changing technologies and threats.
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Internal mishandling
To prevent internal mishandling of data, businesses should implement robust data protection measures. This includes restricting employee access to sensitive information on a need-to-know basis, providing regular data protection training, and establishing clear policies and procedures for handling personal data. Additionally, businesses should consider implementing technical solutions, such as encryption and access controls, to protect data from unauthorised access or disclosure.
The sensitivity of the data also plays a crucial role in determining the severity of a breach. For instance, a patient's leaked medical history can cause more harm than the disclosure of their contact information. Similarly, businesses should be cautious when processing data that reveals an individual's economic, social, cultural, or genetic information, as this can have far-reaching implications.
In the UK, businesses must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as outlined in the Data Protection Act 2018. This legislation ensures the fair, lawful, and transparent use of personal information. To uphold data protection, businesses should put measures in place, such as restricting employee access, backing up data, and having recovery plans. By complying with GDPR, businesses can minimise the risk of data protection breaches and protect the privacy and security of individuals' personal data.
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Cyber security compliance
A personal data breach is defined by the European Union as 'a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed'. This can include a wide range of information, from account numbers and dates of birth to economic, social, cultural, mental, or even genetic information.
To comply with GDPR, businesses must put measures in place to use personal data safely on a day-to-day basis. This can include restricting employee access, backing up data, and having recovery plans in place. The more data that's processed, the greater the risk of a breach.
In England, businesses can use the Data Security and Protection Reporting Tool to report breaches, while in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, the ICO breach reporting tool can be used. These tools are only necessary when a breach poses a 'risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals'. Due to the potential financial and reputational damage, it's often recommended to get professional help from digital security consultants to ensure infrastructure is compliant with GDPR and minimises the risk of a breach.
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The severity of the breach
The severity of a data protection breach depends on the sensitivity of the data that has been compromised. For example, a patient's leaked medical history has more explicit potential to cause damage than their contact information. Account numbers, dates of birth, addresses, and ID numbers are still considered personal information. However, businesses should also be wary of how they process data that reveals someone's economic, social, cultural, mental, or even genetic information.
The more data that's processed, the greater the risk of a breach. This is why businesses that regularly collect user data, such as those with e-commerce sites, are more impacted by data protection regulations.
In the UK, businesses must follow the General Data Protection Regulation as outlined in The Data Protection Act 2018. The law aims to ensure the fair, lawful and transparent use of personal information. Under GDPR, a personal data breach is defined as 'any security incident that results in the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data'.
Businesses can comply with GDPR by restricting employee access to sensitive data, backing up data, and having recovery plans in place. They should also ensure that they are using personal data safely on a day-to-day basis.
In England, data protection breaches can be reported using the Data Security and Protection Reporting Tool. In Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, the ICO breach reporting tool can be used. However, this is only necessary when a breach poses a 'risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals'. Due to the financial and reputational damage that data protection breaches can cause, it is often recommended to get professional help from digital security consultants.
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Frequently asked questions
A data breach is a security incident in which information is accessed without authorisation. This includes the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, or unauthorised disclosure of personal data.
The impact of a data breach depends on the sensitivity of the data. For example, a patient's leaked medical history has more explicit potential to cause damage than their contact information.
The risk of a data breach depends on the amount of data that is processed. The more data that is processed, the greater the risk.
Data breaches can cause financial and reputational damage. They can also result in a loss of trust in the organisation that suffered the breach.
To prevent a data breach, businesses should put measures in place to uphold data protection. This can include restricting employee access, backing up data, and having recovery plans in place.
