A “Facebook generation” of workers are risking data breaches because they are careless with technology and personal information held on databases, the Britain’s information watchdog warned yesterday.

Richard Thomas, the Information Commissioner, also warns that the creation of more and more databases is increasing the risks of things going wrong.

He disclosed that the number of data losses reported to his office has almost doubled in the past six months.

Between April and November this year 177 losses were reported compared with 100 in the preceding six months.

Eighty of the 277 breaches were by private sector organisations, 75 NHS and other health bodies, 28 by central government, 26 by local authorities and 47 by other public sector organisations.

The Information Commissioner’s Office is currently investigating thirty serious breaches of data protection laws in both the private and public sector.

But Mr Thomas suspects that the surge in data losses being reported is “the tip of the iceberg” and that many smaller organisations prefer to keep quiet about incidents.

Mr Thomas said:”It is alarming that despite high profile data losses, the threat of enforcement action, a plethora of reports on data handling and clear guidance of the Information Commissioners Office, the flow of data breaches and sloppy information handling continues”.

He said data losses had lead to fake credit card transactions, witnesses at risk of intimidation or physical harm, offenders at risk from vigilantes, fake applications for tax credits, falsified Land Registry records and mortgage fraud.

The addresses of service personnel, police and prison officers and battered women had also be exposed, “Sometimes lives may be at risk”, he added.

Last year Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs lost a disk containing the names, addressees, dates of birth and bank account details of up to 25 million people claiming child benefit.

In another incident PA Consulting Group lost a computer memory stick containing details of 33,000 serious offenders, 10,000 priority criminals and the names and dates of birth of all 84,000 prisoners in jail in England and Wales. The Home Office scrapped a three year contract with the firm over the loss.

Mr Thomas said that some of the increase in data losses being reported to his office is a result of organisations taken security more seriously and fear that not reporting incidents will lead to damaging headlines about a “cover up”.

But he said it was time chief executives of firms took full responsibility for data protection safeguards particularly when data loss can cause serious damage to the reputation of organisations.

“A lot of organisations are peopled by the Facebook generation. They tend to be carefless with technology and personal information and have not been disciplined in the fact that things can go wrong the damage data loss” , he said.

Mr Thomas said that as government, public and private sector organisations used technology more and more to collect vast amounts of personal information, the risk of the information being abused increased.

“The more databases that are set up and the more information exchanged from one place to another , the greater the risk of things going wrong. The more you centralise data collection, the greater the risk of multiple records going missing or wrong decisions about real people beingt made.

“Put simply, holding huge collections of personal data brings significant risks.”

The Information Commissioner is expected to be given new powers to carry out spot checks on private sector organisations to monitor their data protection systems. The office is already carrying out checks on Government departments.

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