Local government data sharing: What are the risks?
Local Government organisations are legally responsible for the security of a vast array of personal data. The need to provide the highest level of data protection for functions including housing, revenues and benefits, social services and personnel, is one of the top priorities for every Local Authority in the UK.
Alarmingly, statistics concerning confidential data breach at Local Government level are on the increase, accounting for 12% of all data breaches reported to the Information Commissioner in 2009.
Not surprisingly, the Society of Information Management (SOCITM) annual trends survey 2009, reports that efficiency and security are the two key issues concerning Local Government IT directors. At the time of writing, the Information Commissioner is considering imposing hefty new fines on authorities suffering data breach who do not adequately secure their information.
The challenge for local government
With immense scrutiny on public sector spending, Local Government is under increasing pressure to cut costs and increase efficiency. A range of innovative working practices have been devised to support efficiencies:
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The creation of shared services between neighbouring authorities
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Home and flexible working to cut the cost of real-estate
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The use of temporary staff or locums has become an important way of dealing with peaks in workload
The requirement to enable secure local government data sharing and access to central information from remote locations, or to send and share information across team members and third parties, is a critical enabler to achieving the required efficiencies.
Enabling secure remote working to enhance efficiency
The ISEEU Global Accessibility Solution means that Local Authorities can address the challenges of local government data sharing:
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Make the most of innovative flexible working practices, assured that staff can access all necessary applications and information securely from anywhere, without leaving a trace
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Send and receive sensitive information via highly secure & confidential methods
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Audit the workflow and access detailed reports for governance purposes
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Easily collaborate with other authorities, departments or agencies in real-time using secure virtual meetings
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Be confident in meeting Government security standards - CESG Check accreditation, including two-factor authentication and data encryption as standard
Arrange a live demonstration
Discover what the complete ISEEU Global Accessibility Suite can offer your authority. For a no obligation demonstration, more information or to discuss of your specific information security challenges, contact us now.