Responding to the Information Commissionerís proposed custodial penalties for breaching certain Data Protection Act (DPA) offences, the British Computer Society (BCS), has launched a new book: Data Protection and Compliance in Context. It provides professionals from many different disciplines with the tools to safely navigate data protection issues in todayís business environment.
Since its conception in 1998, the Data Protection Act has changed the way businesses and individuals use computers. However, many of the lawís requirements conflict with the natural uses of IT. Author Stewart Room, National Chair of the National Association of Data Protection and Freedom of Information Officers, explains how this move by the Information Commissioner ìillustrates quite clearly the direction that the law is taking. If breach of the DPA can lead to imprisonment, compliance has to be taken seriously.î
Stewart says: ìWe have had data protection laws in Europe for over thirty years now and we are moving into a period of rapid development and growth in the law. The concept of data processing is extremely wide reaching, covering every single thing that can be done to personal data: from its initial collection and use through to its deletion. The main aim of data protection legislation is to establish a balance between the interests of the individual against the power of the information age, in order to give individuals control over the data held about them.î
Data controllers must comply with the Data Protection Act because:
- DPA compliance is a legal requirement that, if breached, can lead to serious sanctions and penalties
- DPA compliance leads to greater business and organisational efficiency and saves costs
- DPA compliance generates customer, client and staff confidence, thereby providing competitive advantages
- DPA compliance leads to compliance with other, unrelated laws
DPA compliance enables an organization to move information and share information and trade abroad
Data Protection and Compliance in Context approaches the subject from three distinct angles: the context in which data protection should be viewed, the content of data protection laws and data protection from the compliance perspective.
The book is a trustworthy guide written and designed to provide practical guidance and explanation to managers and companies on how to go about the business of protecting data privacy against the wider backdrop of the Data Protection Act, human rights laws and freedom of information legislation.
Data Protection and Compliance in Context, (ISBN: 978 1 902 505 78 7) by Stewart Room. 35 (5 discount for BCS members), available from: BCS Books, York Publishing Services, 64 Hallfield Road, Layerthorpe, York YO31 7ZQ, Tel: 01904 431218, email: orders@yps-publishing.co.uk or from all good bookshops.
Further information can be found at:
Tougher Penalties Underlines Importance of Data Protection
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