Risky data – are your data protection procedures up to scratch?

Research presented at the recent British Educational Research Association’s annual conference revealed that data protection and information security continues to present challenges for schools. 

Schools are accumulating and processing more and more personal data in a world of increasing connectivity which presents risks – to the welfare of children, the integrity of schools’ information systems and to schools themselves. 

With the Information Commissioner able and increasingly willing to impose monetary penalties of up to £500,000 for breach of the Data Protection Act 1998, schools face real financial risks if found in breach.

Research of 1,059 schools by the universities of East Anglia and Plymouth, based partly on self-assessment by schools of their own information security provisions, showed almost half had either no personal data policy or had a policy that was under development.