Law firms could face a £500,000 fine if they lose unencrypted laptops or data sticks containing personal information, under new proposals.

A government consultation sets out new powers for the information commissioner to levy hefty fines on organisations that breach the Data Protection Act 1998.The current maximum level of fine that the information commissioner can impose is £5,000. The new provisions, which would raise the maximum fine level to £500,000, could come into force next April.

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For the full story go to the Law Society Gazette.