Are Data Protection breaches just a feature of life in the 21st Century?

I received a letter from the GAA today about a human error in their ticket office which allowed 223 season ticket holders to view my season ticket non-financial details online. They apologised and have informed the Data Protection Commissioner.

A few years back, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service had a laptop(s) stolen containing donor details and they sent me a letter apologising etc

Are these breaches just a fact of life in the 21st century?

Yep.

STEINER said:

... Are these breaches just a fact of life in the 21st century?

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I don't accept for one minute that they are.

The majority of these breaches are caused by laziness, incompetence and just a complete lack of common sense e.g. a laptop with sensitive information stolen because the lap-top is left in full view on the passenger seat of a parked car, rather than being locked in the boot. The fact that sensitive information is allowed to be stored on a portable device unencryteped and put in the care of someone who should only have access to low-tech crayons in a supervised environment says it all. That similar stories re-occur frequently is appalling in my view.

I have had an email containing my PPSN, my name & address and financial information in clear unencrypted form sent to my personal email address from within a "secure network". The sender thought this was OK because their network was secure and she was sending my information to me!!

People can and do communicate using zero-cost encryption with one-off keys to exchange sensitive data. They can exchange fresh keys on USB gizmos through the post or face-to-face or through SMS .The problem with doing this in an evironment where Obama, Cameron & Co are hot to trot on their "wars on terror" is that exchanging encrypted messages over the public wires / WiFis could get you flagged as a terrorist!

Simple measures can secure any sensitive data, as long as the people entrusted with its care can do a little more than decorate the walls of caves with burnt sticks.

mathepac said:

Simple measures can secure any sensitive data, as long as the people entrusted with its care can do a little more than decorate the walls of caves with burnt sticks.

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That's one of the most eloquent pieces of writing I've read in a long time, and one which elegantly expresses the simplicity of solutions and incomprehensible laziness which gives rise to problem.