What security measures should I have in place to protect personal information on laptops?
Where the information held on a laptop or other portable device could be used to cause an individual damage or distress, in particular where it contains financial or medical information, they should be encrypted. The level of protection provided by the encryption should be reviewed and updated periodically to ensure that it is sufficient if the device was lost or stolen, you may need to seek specialist technical advice. In addition to technical security, organisations must have policies on the appropriate use and security of portable devices and ensure their staff are properly trained in these. If it is brought to the Commissioner’s attention that laptops that have been lost or stolen have not been protected with suitable encryption he will consider using his enforcement powers.
