A manager of Colchester University Hospital was recently sacked after a laptop containing hospital patient data was stolen from his car while holidaying in Edinburgh.
IT commentators argue that although the ex-employee was negligent in leaving the laptop in a vehicle, the real culprit was the hospital itself for not ensuring that the laptop’s hard drive contents were encrypted – a point that the Data Commissioner would probably agree on.
As the need for laptop encryption becomes more publicised, this type of incident will in the future exposure organisations not only to reputation damage but to fines, enforcement orders and litigation from those whose details have been negligently compromised.
Laptop security is one of many information security topics covered in the Information and IT Security Workshop, 24 November 2008. Contact Janet for details.
