Most organizations still don’t encrypt data when it leaves the office

December 17, 2010 Christina Catenacci Human Resources, Privacy and Security

I recently read a news release by the Alberta Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner that indicated there are still high incidences of laptops containing personal information being stolen—without having security measures such as encryption put in place. The commissioner was left scratching his head.

The commissioner found it odd that organizations would not take the time to properly protect personal information. He stated, “Encryption technology is pretty much commonplace, and it’s irresponsible that an organization would allow this stuff out the door, without ensuring it’s protected.”

The commissioner also commented that these organizations were putting a lot of people on edge, given the potential for identity theft or personal embarrassment. On the same note, when a laptop containing personal information is stolen, the organization faces more work, cost and embarrassment because they have to notify individuals that they lost their personal information, and it might be used for illegal purposes.

I’m wondering: what kind of security measures do you have in place in your organization? What type of physical and technological protections do you have to prevent privacy breaches?

Christina Catenacci
First Reference Human Resources and Compliance Editor

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Christina Catenacci

Christina Catenacci, BA, LLB, LLM, was called to the Ontario Bar in 2002 and has since been a member of the Ontario Bar Association. Christina worked as an editor with First Reference between February 2005 and August 2015, working on publications including The Human Resources Advisor (Ontario, Western and Atlantic editions), HRinfodesk discussing topics in Labour and Employment Law. Christina has decided to pursue a PhD at the University of Western Ontario beginning in the fall of 2015. Read more

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Alberta, canadian employment law, employment law, encryption, Encryption technology, identity theft, laptops, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, personal information, private sector privacy legislation, protecting personal information, security measures, stolen laptops, technology

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