The ICO has fined a historical society after a laptop containing sensitive personal data was stolen whilst a member of staff was working away from the office. The laptop, which wasn’t encrypted, contained the details of people who had donated artefacts to the society. An ICO investigation found the organisation had no policies or procedures around homeworking, encryption and mobile devices which resulted in a breach of data protection law. The ICO confirmed that organisations are required by law to keep data secure and that includes when working away from the office. The fine of £500 was based on the society’s financial circumstances but because of the serious nature of the breach, the ICO highlight that most organisations would expect to receive a much larger fine and should prompt all organisations to check they have adequate procedures in place.

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