Overview

How far must employers go to keep personnel records secure? This issue has come under the spotlight recently after several laptops containing sensitive patient information went missing from the NHS North Central London health authority. Earlier this year, a BP employee also lost a laptop containing the personal data of thousands of individuals claiming compensation from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Under the Data Protection Act, employers must have appropriate security measures in place to prevent employees' personal data being lost or stolen. Appropriate measures will depend on the nature of the information and the risks of it falling into the wrong hands. This briefing from Travers Smith outlines some recent case law in this area.