01/08/2024
Have you breached the Privacy Act by sending an email without even realising it? We send emails every day without much thought, but today I received one that made me pause.
The email confirmed my child's attendance at a weekend program. Unintentionally, the sender disclosed the full names and email addresses of all the parents. Though there was no ill intent, this is considered a data breach, defined as:
"A data breach occurs when personal information that an entity holds is subject to unauthorized access or disclosure, or is lost. Personal information is information about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable. Examples of data breaches include: inadvertent disclosure of personal information due to 'human error.'"
In this case, the breach happened simply because the sender used the "To" field instead of the "BCC" field, thereby disclosing full names and email addresses of all the parents.
Data breaches can have serious consequences for victims and businesses. Don't let your company fall victim to 'human error.'
Read more about data breaches and the Australian Privacy Act here https://lnkd.in/gt8RNbX6
OR send us a message and ask us about our Email etiquette and best practice masterclass.
