Organisations and individuals must take step up the fight against identity fraud, the Information Commissioner's Office will say on Tuesday.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) will say that the data-security problems at HM Revenue & Customs were a watershed and call for organisations to implement new safeguards to help protect individuals' privacy.
At the "Surveillance Society" conference in Manchester on Tuesday, the ICO will also encourage people to take more control over their personal information to help them guard against the risks of identity fraud.
The UK's first privacy impact assessment handbook will be launched at the conference, aimed at helping help organisations address the risks to personal privacy before implementing new initiatives and technologies.
"Privacy impact assessments are a common-sense approach to help organisations develop privacy-friendly ways of working," said David Smith, the deputy information commissioner.
Research commissioned by the ICO shows that six out of 10 people believe they have lost control over the way their personal information is handled.
Smith said: "Each time someone gives away their personal information, they leave electronic footprints which build up a picture of every aspect of their daily lives."
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"It is essential that, before introducing new systems and technologies which could accelerate the growth of a surveillance society, full consideration is given to the impact on individuals and that safeguards are in place to minimise intrusion," Smith continued.
The conference will also highlight the use of privacy-enhancing technologies to help protect people's personal information. According to the ICO, these technologies can help to minimise the information collected about members of the public and ensure that privacy safeguards are built into systems.
Talkback
What we need is legislation to protect information and to prosecute those data mining corporations such as Lockheed Martin that collate and distribute the information for a price.
We also need to oppose legislation such as the US PATRIOT Act as it applies wherever a US corporation has access to information and has it stored, whether in the US or elsewhere. For instance, a government agency using Lockheed Martin or Accenture or another firm with a US presence, will be required to disclose the information demanded by a US Agency while simultaneously being prohibited from informing the subject of such disclosure of information that their personal privacy has been compromised.
We need to wake up to the police state that is supported by information techology and our complacency.
ps. I've likey just earned myself a one-way ticket to Syria, accommodations included...
The frap over data security seems to be overblown. It is nobody's case to condone lax processes. Rather, lets focus on the next-to-nothing number of actual id thefts. Let the judiciary come down like a ton of bricks on the offenders: the equivalent of cutting off the offenders' noses. With IRPs (ie individualised ERPs) catching force (e.g. ZOHO, eDeskOnline), lets not overplay the security bogey. Lets enjoy the productivity gains from online data storage.
In the States we have a problem. We are too quick to designate a minor slip in security as a <a href="http://hack-igations.blogspot.com/2007/09/definition-of-data-security-breach.html">data security breach</a> that justifies the delivery of notice to affected customers and citizens. The result is a senseless blizzard of notices that serves only to confuse people.