Data Protection Act - New BASDA Working Party

In 2010, the Information Commissioner’s powers to impose large fines on non-complaint organisations are expected to come into force. The Commissioner is also being given extended powers to conduct audits in the public and private sectors. There is every likelihood that business software users will therefore become more anxious about personal data protection and will be looking to their business applications suppliers:

• To ensure that their business applications
  support their duty of legal compliance.
• For guidance on how to use the
  applications in a legally compliant way.

BASDA members from Oracle, Intuit and Sage have formed a Data Protection Act Working Group to agree a way forward in consultation with Frances Aldhouse CBE, formerly the UK Deputy Information Commissioner, who is noted for leading the teams which developed policy guidance on data protection issues.

At the inaugural meeting of the Working Group it was agreed that BASDA should develop a scheme of application software accreditation to give assurance to users that their business applications have been designed to assist them in complying with the UK Data Protection Act.

It was also decided that BASDA should provide a White Paper to guide users in following best practice when implementing and supporting application software in their enterprises with regard to Data Privacy issues.

It is intended that the scheme should receive the public approval and support of the Information Commissioner.

The DPA Working Group idea came from the HR & Payroll SIG, but has been separated out so that other SIG members can participate.

Liz Wilson, Product Strategy Director, Oracle EMEA, and a founder member of the BASDA Working Group comments:

“The intention is to give BASDA members and their customers an advantage over companies who have little regard for data protection issues, especially security matters. This is an important initiative and I would encourage other members to get involved.”