Did you know the most common data breach in our organisation is due to emails being sent to the wrong recipient?
This means that personal information is being unlawfully shared with unauthorised individuals. Often, externally meaning we are unable to recall the message.
We are all working in extremely busy environments therefore it is even more important to STOP and ASSESS before clicking SEND when using email.
As a North Ayrshire Council employee, it is our responsibility to take care of and maintain the security and confidentiality of the information we use in our roles.
The Information Commissioner (the governing body for data protection) can take action on an organisation if there is a regular occurrence of similar breaches. We must be mindful of the number of employees and collectively what might seem like a minor error adds up across the organisation.
When handling personal information, treat it as you would with your own. Double check content and recipients prior to sending to make sure the information stays in safe hands.
Follow the S.A.A.S steps to ensure you are exercising caution before clicking the send button…
- STOP – Follow these steps before you click send
- ASSESS – Are recipients correct? Relevant? Is ‘Reply All’ necessary?
- ADD – Type in the content then add the Classification > Public, Official or Official Protect
- SEND – Only once all of the above checks have been made should you send the email. Remember to be mindful of your recipients as there are lots of people with the same/similar names.