Watch the data
Are you breaching the Data Protection Act? According to research, almost half of all firms are unwittingly doing so.
The study, by consultancy Vanson Bourne, found 44% firms were using actual customer data when developing and testing IT applications, while 48% were only "vaguely familiar" with the details of the 1998 Act.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is responsible for enforcing the Act.
A spokeswoman said:
"The use of live customer data for test purposes runs the real risk that personal details can be corrupted or fall into the wrong hands."
