Public sector better than private, says ICO

The research revealed that just under half of private sector firms said that they should store personal information securely, compared with 60% of public sector organisations. Although overall awareness of five of the eight data protection principles increased between 2009 and 2010, levels of awareness are still higher in the public sector than among private sector organisations. The findings are part of a telephone survey carried out on behalf of the ICO by Social and Market Strategic Research between 12 July and 26 August, and published on 5 November. It also found that the majority of the UK public continue to lack confidence in the way their personal information is protected and handled. 60% believe they have lost control over the way their personal details are collected and processed, although this figure is a 7% decrease on 2009. Christopher Graham, the information commissioner, said: "Businesses need to show they are taking data protection seriously. Failing to do so could not only lead to enforcement action, it could also do significant damage to their reputation. "There is a link between satisfied customers and good handling of personal information. Our research shows that almost all of the individuals surveyed are concerned about the collection and secure storage of their personal information. Ignoring data protection obligations is ignoring a key customer concern."