It seems that these days companies, including banks, building societies, and even government agencies, seem to have a real problem hanging on the personal data of consumers, and over recent months the financial headlines have been dominated with news about various firms and agencies losing personal and sensitive data that could put consumers at increased risk of becoming victims of identity theft and fraud.
Last year we heard about a wide range of security breaches ranging from personal bank account details being found skipped outside various banks and building societies to the loss of 25 million bank account details by HM Revenue and Customs. Identity theft and fraud have been highlighted as major concerns for many of us, and the fact that our personal details could end up in the wrong hands simply causes additional distress.
A number of recent cases spring to mind when it comes to the loss of personal data, and the most notable data loss blunder of last year involved the loss of two discs by HM Revenue and Customs, which contained the personal and bank details of 25 million people.
Alistair Darling had to apologise for the blunder, and explained: “Two password protected discs containing a full copy of HMRC’s entire data in relation to the payment of child benefit was sent to the NAO, by HMRC’s internal post system operated by the courier TNT. The package was not recorded or registered. It appears the data has failed to reach the addressee in the NAO.”
Just weeks previous to this HM Revenue and Customs had been involved in another data loss incident that involved the loss of a disk containing the pension plan and personal details of around 15,000 people. The Skipton Building Society also admitted to the loss of details of around fourteen thousand investment customers last year.
The DVLA in Northern Ireland allegedly lost the personal details of around six thousand people. The Department for Work and Pensions lost application forms containing the personal details of 800 people. More recently, a DHL courier left a pile of prudential files on a road near a motorway junction after they fell from his van. The files were discovered by a breakdown recovery driver, and contained a range of personal data including the banking details of three national lottery winners.
It seems that we are all at increased risk of becoming the victims of data loss these days, and the situation has become so bad that some MPs are calling for persistent or reckless data loss to be classed as a criminal offence. For those that do find themselves falling victim to data loss there are a number of steps that can be taken.
Firstly you should inform your bank or any other relevant agency/company of the data loss. If you bank details have been lost you may wish to consider changing passwords, PIN numbers, etc. You should also consider making regular checks on your credit report to ensure that no suspicious activity has taken place on your account.
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