The Information Commissioner says there were nearly twice as many reports of personal data breaches in the first part of this year compared to last.
A total of 61 incidents were logged between April and June, affecting around 800 people.
Dr Alexandra Delaney-Bhattacharya said, “It is possible that this increase in reporting is, at least in part, influenced by our increased outreach and engagement with the Island’s organisations.”
She added, “Our recent outreach has included the delivery of two breach awareness sessions, which sought to provide organisations with greater clarity regarding their obligations.”
Public sector bodies accounted for 70% of reported breaches, with private firms making up the remaining 30%.
Training
Recent training attracted around 70 representatives from public and private sectors.
“We received some excellent feedback along with some suggestions for other training sessions people would like to see offered in the future,” Dr Delaney-Bhattacharya noted.
She added: “This appears to have increased the number of breaches reported, as well as improving the quality of the information in the reports.”
Nearly a third (28%) of cases were deemed high-risk and of 30 closed cases, 84% involved breaches of data confidentiality rules.
Dr Delaney-Bhattacharya said, “Whilst the need to notify affected individuals is clear in the law, it’s important that organisations approach this with compassion.”
You can read the full statement here.
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