{"id":2074,"date":"2018-04-06T12:15:52","date_gmt":"2018-04-06T12:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roadxs.com\/?p=2074"},"modified":"2024-04-12T17:17:20","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T16:17:20","slug":"data-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roadxs.com\/product\/data-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Data Protection: Keep Your Transport Services Risks Low"},"content":{"rendered":"

IMPORTANT: The slient risk lurking for your community transport services is the way you handle your passenger, driver and journey data.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This is no longer an issue that can be taken lightly anymore, and if you do you could face large fines from the ICO<\/a>.\u00a0 It is also important to stress that this doesn’t just apply to electronic data but data stored on paper too.\u00a0 There is now just over 1 month<\/strong> before the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect.\u00a0 If you haven’t heard of this, you need to, and we’re not just saying this to get your attention!<\/p>\n

Data protection is something which affects any business or organisation no matter how large or small they are.\u00a0 Recently, and no doubt you’ll have heard, but there has been an increase in incidences of hacking, data breaches and data theft which shows just how more important data security now is.\u00a0 If your organisation handles any personal information (names, addresses, date of births, driver credentials, ID etc) then read on ….<\/p>\n

What is the Data Protection Act (DPA)?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Data Protection Act was developed to give protection and lay down rules about how data about people can be used. The 1998 Act covers information or data stored on a computer or an organised paper filing system about living people. The basic way it works is by: setting up rules that people have to follow.\u00a0 All organisations in the UK must comply with the Data Protection Act (DPA) and any organisation in breach will face a serious penalty.
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You Too Could Be in Breach of the DPA
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On 12th<\/sup> February 2015, the Information Commissioner (ICO) was informed that a removable hard drive containing personal data had been taken home by a member of staff and that the employee had subsequently failed to return it.\u00a0 This removable hard drive contained a back-up of Community Transport<\/a> Ltd\u2019s customer database, containing 4,138 individual records. This also included some limited medical data.<\/p>\n

The standard procedure at Community Transport<\/a> Ltd at the time of the incident was for a member of staff to take the back-up tape home each day so that it could be stored offsite.\u00a0 On this occasion, the member of staff tasked with taking the back-up tape home unexpectedly failed to return to work. There\u2019s no explanation as to why they\u00a0didn\u2019t they just send someone to the house\u00a0to retrieve it, or if the employee was incapacitated or unavailable, to contact next of kin.<\/p>\n

The ICO\u2019s investigation revealed a number of weaknesses in data protection, a policy and training that would covered this type of situation. The ICO also found that Community Transport<\/a> was retaining data for longer than was necessary for its work and they had no procedure or policy in place to address that, either.\u00a0 Finally, the ICO also found that data stored on portable devices was not being encrypted.<\/p>\n

The good news is that a follow up has been completed to provide an assurance that Community Transport Ltd has appropriately addressed the actions agreed in its undertaking signed July 2015.<\/p>\n

Whilst we do not know the total fine value or the spefic details, this case highlights the potential risks facing your operations if you don’t take data security seriously and implement the basic recommendations and follow through.\u00a0 It also saves you a lot of hassle if you do it right.<\/p>\n

Data Protection Compliance is Not Just Applicable to Electronic Information Storage but Applies to Paper Records Too<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Data protection breaches don\u2019t just come from\u00a0 cloud or website attacks.\u00a0 One of the most common breaches comes from paper records either being stolen or lost or being left out in plain sight.\u00a0 Just think how many pieces of paper there are in the average office?\u00a0 How many folders are left out on desks or in unlocked cupboards overnight? \u00a0 Who has access to these paper records? \u00a0\u00a0Who takes them home, leaves them in the car or on the train unwatched?\u00a0 All of these are serious concerns for any organisation and in particular for the chief information officer.\u00a0 Even if you leave just one piece of paper out on a desk with the details of a journey being requested by a passenger you are in breach of the Data Protection Act.<\/p>\n

Road XS Ensures You Operate in Compliance of the Data Protection Act and GDPR
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There are a number of simple steps you can take to avoid risking a fine, and Road XS can ensure you meet data protection act compliance from the outset and meet and exceed the forthcoming GDPR<\/a> (see below) requirements by securing your data above industry standards.\u00a0 We do this by:<\/p>\n