Virgin Media breach Data Protection Act

Virgin Media and any company that processes personal information on its behalf have been ordered to use encryption software with immediate effect.



Both the company and its suppliers must also spell out in their contracts that they will encrypt all portable and mobile devices which store and transmit personal data.



The orders from the Information Commissioner follow its investigation into the loss of an unprotected computer disc that was loaded with the details of 3,000 Virgin customers.



The disc, which was lost earlier this year, was found to contain files on people interested in opening a Virgin account after it was handed in by the Carphone Warehouse.



For finding it breached the Data Protection Act, the commissioner told Virgin to implement the encryption measures and made it sign a formal undertaking to comply with the act in future.



The ICO said failure to meet the undertaking's terms is likely to lead to more enforcement, though it said Virgin recognised the seriousness of the data loss and agreed to the actions.