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Chief execs should be accountable for data breaches

Jul 29 2008

Chief execs should be accountable for data breaches

The responsibility for lost or exposed personal information rests with the CEO of the company, according to a survey of IT professionals.

Security specialist Tumbleweed Communications found that 68 per cent of IT professionals surveyed said the company would be blamed rather than the individuals involved. Just under two-thirds (65 per cent) of office workers had the same response.

Craig Whitney, managing director of Tumbleweed, says: ‘Unlike in the US, UK data protection laws do not require companies that lose sensitive data or confidential business information to immediately and publicly announce the loss.’

He argues that breaches in data security will be reduced if ‘CEOs are held to account.’

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