ICO offers advice to SMEs on good data practices

Article summary

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has advised UK’s SMEs on implementing good data practices from the start of their business and checking that the right data protection practices are in place. The ICO notes that good data practices benefit companies’ reputations and reported that a recent survey showed 91% of people worried that their personal information was being sold to another company without their consent. Businesses are legally required to look after people’s personal information properly and fairly but the ICO noted other benefits of doing so such as saving owners time and money and increasing customer trust. The ICO has provided access to free resources with advice and guidance on good data practices on its dedicated SME hub as part of its pilot programme called, 'SME Data Essentials' which is part of ICO25, its bigger three-year strategic plan to reduce the cost of compliance whilst enabling SMEs to invest, innovate and...