The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has found the St. Albans City and District Council in breach of the Data Protection Act following the theft of a laptop that contained unencrypted personal information in the form of voters' records. "When organisations store large volumes of personal details on portable computers, encryption is essential," said Sally-anne Poole of the ICO, adding that employees and contractors must be "trained to handle personal information securely to avoid the risk of information falling into the wrong hands." In a case involving the Highland Council, the ICO determined the council violated the DPA after personal data relating to several members of one family was accidentally disclosed to an unrelated individual.
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