Data Protection and Small and Medium Enterprises - REPORT

1 There is a high level of awareness of data protection and the Data Protection Act. 


2 There is broad acceptance of the values and principles of data protection, although opinions  appear divided as to the benefits of compliance. 


3 Awareness and acceptance of principles in broad terms does not necessarily translate into 
specific knowledge of registration/notification. 


4 The compliance or ‘red tape’ burden associated with government regulation does not appear to  be a major issue for the Data Protection Act for most of the business, although there is a small  ‘vocal minority’ who consider this an issue. 


5 Two key terms registered most strongly with the businesses  (1) Security of Data and Information, and (2) Confidentiality.  Privacy also figured as a significant term, but not to the  same extent. 


6 Effective practice in data protection was closely associated with wider information management  and data control within the business – those enterprises that deployed information for business benefit tended to be actively supportive of data protection principles and found it easy to comply  with the Act. 


7 Individual and shared attitudes towards data protection and information are key influences on  business approaches to this issue, and so constitute a primary influence on compliance and  engagement with the Act and the ICO. 


8 Different approaches to data protection and information can be identified, and used to identify  distinctive segments – each with different requirements and approaches. 


9 There was some indication that respondents were considering effective practice in information  and data management and handling, with data protection being seen as a ‘sub-set’ of these  considerations.  Good practice in data protection, in other words, appears to be part of and to  stem from wider approaches to information. 


10 Although the Act itself had a high profile, the ICO was less well known and some businesses  thought that it would be useful for the ICO to engage more with SMEs
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Source: http://www.ico.gov.uk