Data breaches go up by 43 per cent

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

The Ministry of Justice has seen its number of information breaches increase from 563 in 2007/08 to 1,316 in 2008/09.

These figures, revealed in a parliamentary written answer, equate to a 43 per cent increase in one year. Justice Secretary Jack Straw, who answered the question, said: "Although the last two reporting years has seen a 43 per cent increase in reported information and IT security related breaches/incidents, much of this is the result of the implementation of a robust information assurance programme. This has included the need for all areas to apply procedures for reporting information security incidents, including the identification and investigation of the departure, however minor, from all security procedures. The result is an evidently improving information security management system."

Straw also admitted that two of the breaches were considered to be "significant", although no further details were given.