The printout on the bus
A technician prints a list of staff names and phone numbers. They leave it on a bus seat. A stranger reads it.
That is a data breach, and in the UK it can be a legal problem for the company. Handling documents and data well is a control, and the law says you must do it.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Personal data | Information about a living person who can be identified. | a name and phone number |
| UK GDPR | The UK law that sets the rules for using personal data. | |
| Data Protection Act 2018 | The UK law that works with the UK GDPR. | |
| ICO | The Information Commissioner's Office. It enforces data protection law in the UK. | |
| Data breach | Personal data lost, leaked or changed by mistake or by an attacker. | |
| Data minimisation | Collecting only the data you really need. | |
| Retention | How long you keep data before you delete it. | |
| Clear desk | A rule to put papers away when you leave your desk. | |
| Shredding | Cutting paper into tiny strips so it cannot be read. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can handle documents and data in a way that follows UK data protection law.
Starter: what you already know
Have a go
Starter: what you already know
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Cycle 1: the rules in plain words
UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 set rules. In short:
Use data fairly and openly. Use it only for the reason you gave. Collect only what you need. Keep it accurate. Delete it when you no longer need it. Keep it safe. And be able to show you did all of that.
People may ask to see their data. A company must usually answer within one month.
Rules and what they mean at work
| Rule | What it means | At work |
|---|---|---|
| Fair and open | Tell people how you use their data | A privacy notice on the sign-up form |
| Only for the reason given | No new uses without a good reason | Do not send adverts from a repair record |
| Data minimisation | Collect only what you need | Do not ask for a date of birth if you never use it |
| Accurate | Fix wrong data | Update a changed phone number |
| Retention | Delete when no longer needed | Delete old tickets at the agreed time |
| Security | Protect it | Lock the cabinet and encrypt the laptop |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check: which rule?
Have a go
Check: which rule?
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.