As the result of a leak from the US government, 150 members of the Legislature have come under threat of identity theft, and some senators are demanding that security procedures be checked in federal organizations. Meanwhile, the Department for Constitutional Affairs is preparing to increase the sentence for disseminating private details to two years’ in prison. However, InfoWatch experts consider that punitive actions alone are not enough to solve the problem of leaks.
An American senator is initiating an investigation into last week’s theft of a laptop from the car of an HR-department employee. The computer contained the private details of 150 officials in the Legislature.
Despite the fact that no senator was affected, politicians have expressed serious concern about the incident. Senator Ted Kanavas has asked for a formal audit on data security systems in all three branches of state government: Legislative, executive and judicial.
This problem affects more than just state organizations. The lack of proper regard for data protection by those who handle it affects everyday Americans. For example, in December, 171,000 taxpayers received postal notifications with their Social Security numbers printed on the outside of the envelope!
Americans have long known that all is not well in the area of private data security, which is why powerful state institutions are trying to rectify the situation. In particular, the Department for Constitutional Affairs is planning to put an amendment to the 1998 data protection law before parliament. As it stands now, anyone who steals or knowingly disseminates sensitive personal data faces nothing more than a fine. The proposed amendment suggests a two-year prison sentence.
Denis Zenkin, InfoWatch’s Marketing Director said, “I’m confident that punitive measures are not enough to solve the problem. What is needed is a multifaceted approach. Before everything else, companies and state organizations themselves must do all that they can to prevent the leak of personal data. Tough laws will lessen insiders’ temptation to some degree, but will in no way cause the endless cases of personal data theft to cease.”
Sources: ZDNet Government, The Daily Cardinal, silicon.com
