The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has warned that organisations could face tougher sanctions if they fail to report data security breaches.
More than 800 separate incidents have been reported to the privacy watchdog in the last two years.
Deputy Commissioner David Smith said the ICO is keen to work with organisations to prevent breaches from happening in the first place.
"Talking to us may of course result in regulatory action. However, organisations must act responsibly; those that try to cover up breaches which we subsequently become aware of are likely to face tougher regulatory sanctions," he commented.
According to the ICO, mistakes accounted for around a quarter of the breaches since November 2007, while 262 incidents were caused by theft.
New rules are expected to come into force this April, giving the ICO authority to issue fines of up to £500,000 for serious breaches of the Data Protection Act. |
