28 Jan 2010

Today is European Data Protection Day

European Data Protection Day is taking place today (January 28th).

The Council of Europe's convention on the protection of personal details (Convention 108) was ratified in 1981 in the Strasbourg Agreement and was the first piece of legislation which specifically dealt with the issue of safeguarding personal information.

European data protection supervisor Peter Hustinx said: "Our societies and institutions are more and more dependent upon the widespread use of information and communication technologies.

"This inevitably leads to a massive processing of personal data in almost all fields of life."

Elsewhere, Computer Weekly recently reported a new survey by Ernst & Young showed 81 per cent of UK firms have implemented controls to protect personal data, compared to the global average of 59 per cent.

As a result, the report noted the UK is ahead in terms of its protecting confidential information, although it did concede many UK firms are falling behind in the creation of information asset inventories.