Consumer lending firm, Welcome Financial Services (WFS) has been fined £150,000 after losing the personal data of half a million of its customers.

WFS lost two unencrypted back-up tapes with the names, addresses, phone numbers, date of births and information about customers’ loan accounts. 

WSF discovered that the tapes were missing last November and they’ve never been recovered. 

Businesses are required to take “appropriate technical and organisational measures… against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data”, under the Data Protection Act.

The ICO has issued 21 penalty notices since it gained the power to fine organisations up to £500,000 for breaches of the Data Protection Act. To date, the total value of fines is £2m.  

In June, the ICO fined Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust £325,000 for a data loss. However, the NHS Trust is now appealing the fine. 

According to the ICO’s annual report 2011-12, the watchdog has received 12,985 complaints over the past year. 

Posted by 

Smarayda Christoforou