Data protection reporting and follow up is a key piece required for any business to survive. If information isn't kept safe and secure, employees or the company itself can be exploited. In The Smell of Bullshit Part 6 - Data Protection, the author makes several points about data protection, that I believe would help any business.
If a group email is sent out to numerous customers, and any recipient can see the email address of other recipients, that is an unsecure method, putting all recipients at risk. I agree with the author that making this mistake once is forgivable, so long as the mistake didn't happen again. But if it were to happen again, that is when management should find out why it is happening again. If its because the employee's weren't taught appropriately, then the company needs to adjust there methods so that employees understand how to deal with group emails.
The example the author describes, about the Lush International Forum, is a solid example of how a lack of data protection can piss off people. The fact that the company made the mistake of not using BCC to hide 170 email addresses, more than one time, should be a lesson for all other companies. Many customers responded to Lush, releasing their anger for the lack of protection with their emails. The lack of data Protection by the Lush International Forum could have potentially lost them a big chunk of their customers.
What the Lush International Forum should have done, after the first time they made the mistake of not using BCC to hide email addresses is obvious. The company should have responded to the mistake, not just with an apology, but with action. They should have made it so emails automatically go into BCC, or informed employees of the consequences of not using BCC in emails.
Data protection reporting and follow up is not something companies should take lightly, it can be very costly to not take the necessary measures to protect your customers and company itself at all times.
Blog by Hans Harvey
Blog Post 4
Sources-
Author: southsidesocialist
Title: The Smells of Bullshit Part 6 - Data Protection
Address: http://mitheringsfrommorningside.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/the-smell-of-bullshit-part-6-data-protection/
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