Data security in the workplace

[ch 6: page 49]

An added concern for union members in the context of the growth of information technology is the risk of accidental data loss by, for example, loss of memory sticks or laptops, or accidental emailing of sensitive information to incorrect recipients. In some cases this has led to staff being disciplined.


In terms of data being deliberately accessed, one rep in our survey reported an incident where an employee at a government department accessed data relating to his own family, and was subject to a disciplinary after this was revealed by a security audit.


Reps can help members reduce their risk of making a mistake and exposing themselves to disciplinary proceedings by:


• highlighting the importance of privacy and information protection procedures;


• campaigning for adequate training and resources to be provided by the employer; and


• encouraging consultation on appropriate levels of encryption.


A good starting point for this kind of campaign is the ICO’s simple “Think Privacy” campaign with a downloadable toolkit, available from the ICO’s website.