24 June 2008, 11:05

Outsourced marketing greatest UK privacy threat

A new data privacy study conducted in the UK by the Ponemon Institute for StongMail shows considerable confusion about data privacy measures, coupled with apparent over-optimism on the part of data protection (DP) professionals. However, both DP professionals and marketeers agree that outsourcing of marketing communications increases the risks to personal data.

Eighty-seven per cent of DP professionals but only 69 per cent of marketing personnel agree or strongly agree that their organisations comply with DP laws and regulations. Twenty-five percent of marketeers and a mere 9 per cent of DP pros are unsure. However, 65 per cent of marketeers are uncertain whether their consumer marketing programmes violate privacy rights and 47 per cent are not convinced that their programmes are robust enough to prevent data leakage or loss. The DP professionals are more confident, with 66 per cent confident that privacy rights are respected and only 34 per cent unconvinced. However, when it comes to the risk of data leaks, 58 per cent of the DP professionals expressed concern.

Sixty-one per cent of marketing respondents reported at least one data breach, but, surprisingly, only 43 per cent of DP professionals did so. Roughly half of both groups attributed the breach to "outsourcing of personal information to a vendor, business partner or contractor." DP professionals thought a breach almost 47 per cent more likely if outsource were used. Marketeers though a breach 26 per cent more likely.