(13-May-2012) Nearly half of Canadian businesses that handle customers' personal information in digital form fail to use appropriate tools and practices to protect sensitive data, according to a survey commissioned by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
In a poll that covered 1,006 companies from various industries across the country, the commission found that a “vast majority” of businesses usepasswords to protect personal data stored in digital devices. However, “many do not ensure that passwords are difficult to guess or that their employees change them regularly – two practices that can really help thwart online crime,” said Federal Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart.