Several high-street banks and large organisations have been named as breaching data protection rules according to a new report.

In his report, Information Commissioner Richard Thomas states that the bosses of these companies must take the security of their customers’ and employees’ personal data more seriously.

In the past 12 months the watchdog found 12 high-street banks that had discarded personal customer data in unsecured bins outside the office premises. Mobile phone company Orange were found to have call centre staff sharing logins meaning unauthorised staff may have had access to customer information. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office left online applications of people who want to come to the UK from India unsecured and visible.

The watchdog received just under 24,000 complaints and enquiries about personal data issues in 2006. Internet firms appear to be the worst offenders with 13% of the complaints; Lenders come in a close second with 12%; Third are direct marketers at 10% with telecoms coming in fourth with 7% of the complaints.

Some of these security breaches leave the door wide open for ID theft, a serious problem which can take months of anguish for the customer before the issue is resolved.

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