The way the public sector handles personal data is improving. Those are the findings of the first annual report on the progress made since the Data Handling Review. The Review was conducted by Gus O’Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, in 2008 in the wake of high-profile major public sector data security blunders, such as HMRC’s loss of two tax discs containing personal data of 25 million people in late 2007. The aim of the Review was to improve public sector data handling processes. The Review recommended minimum security measures and compulsory data training for civil servants.
O’Donnell says in the first annual report that a lot of progress has been made and over 450,000 civil servants have been trained in data security awareness. However, Christopher Graham – the Information Commissioner – has warned against complacency and says that there is still a huge education job to do.