The Culture, Media and Sport Committee has published a report highlighting the importance for both companies and customers to protect their online personal data. The report comes in the wake of the cyber-attack on TalkTalk in which the personal details of thousands of customers were hacked and calls for a change in consumer awareness of online and telephone fraud. Recommendations from the Committee include penalising the heads of companies who suffer data breaches, and noting that the penalty which can be levied will soon be raised from a maximum of £500,000 to up to €20 million (or a maximum 4% of global turnover) in line with the GDPR. The report also suggests that companies introduce well- publicised guidance on how they will contact customers and how customers can make contact to verify that communications from the company are genuine.
The Report (PDF)
