BT is facing an investigation by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over allegations that its trials of the targeted online advertising system  from Phorm contravened privacy laws.

The CPS is investigating whether tests of the Phorm service by BT in 2006 and 2007, where BT did not ask customers' permission before running the tests, broke  the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), which prohibits the interception of online data without consent.

Organisations that lose data face cash fines, tougher inspections and even jail, under new proposals from Jack Straw to strengthen the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) come into force.

Last week we learned that PA Consulting couldn't be trusted with data on 80,000 UK prisoners. And this week we discovered that the Banks are using idiots to hold customer information - including images of signatures. So what is going on and why are organisations everywhere "leaking data"? The overwhelming reason all these issues occur is because ordinary human beings fail to engage brains and just don't think. This is compounded by organisations that take a lax view towards reminding people of the importance of protecting data from unintentional "publication". All too often companies invest heavily in technical protection - spending vast sums on state-of-the-art firewalls, but mothing on staff training and awareness work.