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ARTICLE · 13 JUNE 2011

Another Day, Another Data Breach, But A £120,000 Fine!

MacRoberts
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Many people will be familiar with the mistake of sending an email to the wrong recipient, but today, Surrey County Council is faced with the financial consequences of making the mistake of emailing sensitive personal data.

United KingdomMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
David Flint
David Flint
Valerie Surgenor
Valerie Surgenor
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Many people will be familiar with the mistake of sending an email to the wrong recipient, but today (9th June 2011), Surrey County Council is faced with the financial consequences of making the mistake of emailing sensitive personal data. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has served Surrey County Council with a hefty £120,000 monetary penalty for emailing personal information to the wrong recipient on not one, but three separate occasions.

The first breach under the Data Protection Act occurred back in May 2010 when a file containing 241 different individuals' data was leaked via a group email from a member of staff working within the Adult Social Care Team. The data contained in the file related to the physical and mental health of the 241 individuals; physical and mental health of course being some of the most sensitive information there is about a person. This data was emailed to the Council's transport contacts, including taxi firms and bus

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