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Story URL: http://www.silicon.com/research/specialreports/fulldisclosure/0,3800014102,39170147,00.htm

Lords take fresh look at data security
Full Disclosure: But will the government pay attention this time?

By Steve Ranger

Published: Friday 22 February 2008

The government has failed to address important concerns about security on the internet - including ignoring calls for a data breach notification law - leading a House of Lords committee to look at the issue again.

Disappointed with Whitehall's response to its Personal Internet Security report of last year, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee is following up with a new inquiry.

The government's response to the original report rejected many of the committee's recommendations - including its calls for the introduction of a data breach notification law, a move backed by silicon.com's Full Disclosure campaign.

silicon.com's Full Disclosure campaign - what we are asking for...

silicon.com wants the government to review its data protection legislation and improve the reporting of information security breaches in the public and private sectors.

We are calling for greater public debate and for the government to consider legislation that would require organisations that suffer information security breaches to alert their customers if there is a chance the breach has put individuals' sensitive personal data at risk.

We want to hear your views about this campaign and the issues it raises. Make your voice heard by leaving a Reader Comment below or emailing us at editorial@silicon.com.

Other recommendations ignored included increasing resources and skills for the police to deal with internet-based crime and the reversal of the requirement that victims of online card fraud report the crime to their banks rather than to the police.

But since the response was published in October last year, the government has been hit by high-profile data breaches such as the loss of confidential data by HM Revenue & Customs. As a result, the government - in line with the committee's recommendation - increased the powers of the Information Commissioner to inspect organisations holding sensitive data on members of the public.

The committee aims to publish a short follow-up report in early summer.

Lord Sutherland, chairman of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee, said in a statement: "The committee was disappointed with the government's response to its report. We felt they had failed to address some of our key concerns about people's security on the internet."