Stick data 'should have been encrypted'

The director of operations for Praxis Care is admitting the company didn't think enough about the consequences of a computer memory stick being mislaid.

It was announced last week that one of the firm's workers had misplaced a memory stick containing thousands of documents, including personal details of more than a 100 people with mental health conditions who use the services Praxis provides on behalf of the Department of Social Care.

The data went missing during the summer, but the incident was only made public on Friday, after all those concerned had been identified and contacted by the department.

Andy Mayhew admits such information should only be stored on memory sticks in encrypted form, and members of the public may have been surprised to find out it wasn't: