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Two charities have been reprimanded by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for breaching the Data Protection Act after un-encrypted computers containing personal data were stolen.

Sheffield-based charity Asperger’s Children and Carers Together reported a breach to the ICO after an unencrypted laptop, containing personal data relating to 80 children who attended its sessions, was stolen from an employee’s home in December last year. The laptop was being used to store medication information as well as children’s names, addresses and dates of birth.

Nottingham-based charity Wheelbase Motor Project also reported a breach after the theft of an unencrypted hard drive from the charity’s offices. The device contained personal information relating to 50 young people and included some details about past criminal convictions and child protection issues.

Acting Head of Enforcement at the ICO, Sally-Anne Poole said: “The ICO’s guidance is clear – any organisation that stores personal information on a laptop or other portable devices must make sure that the information is encrypted. Information about young people’s medical conditions or criminal convictions is obviously sensitive and should have been adequately protected."

Jon Stanton, Director of IT Services at PEM, said: "These breaches once again show that many organisations are not taking appropriate steps to protect the data they hold.  Encrypting laptops and USB devices is something that can be done quickly and easily without significant expense.

"The biggest issue is raising awareness at executive level of the responsibilities regarding Data Protection.  These charities were lucky not to receive monetary penalties from the ICO, which could have had dire consequences for the charities.  The risks of negative publicity and potential fines up to £500,000 mean this is something charities cannot afford to ignore." This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

PEM IT Services offer advices for organisations on IT Security and Data protection. This includes encryption solutions for laptops and portable USB devices. For more information on these services please contact Jon Stanton on 01223 728 205 or email