 - The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 1998) is an act of the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament defining the ways in which information about living people may be legally used and handled. The main intent is to protect individuals against misuse or abuse of information about them. The DPA was first composed in 1984 and was updated in 1998.
The text of DPA 1998 contains six major sections called Parts, followed by 16 explanatory notes called Schedules. The Parts outline the basic rights of data subjects, methods in which data may be handled by those who possess it, special exemptions and modes of enforcement. The Schedules explain the Parts in greater detail and elaborate on diverse contingencies and legal interpretations.
The fundamental principles of DPA 1998 specify that personal data must:
- be processed fairly and lawfully.
- be obtained only for lawful purposes and not processed in any manner incompatible with those purposes.
- be adequate, relevant and not excessive.
- be accurate and current.
- not be retained for longer than necessary.
- be processed in accordance with the rights and freedoms of data subjects.
- be protected against unauthorized or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage.
- not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area unless that country or territory protects the rights and freedoms of the data subjects.
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Getting started with the Data Protection Act 1998 |
| To explore how DPA 1998 is used in the enterprise, here are some additional resources: |
| The 'appropriate' way to comply with Data Protection Act 1998: Are you compliant with the U.K. Data Protection Act? Meeting the standards can be a challenge, and even though all companies should be compliant, some aren't. Get information on the regulation's eight principles and learn how to comply. |
| Complying with the UK Data Protection Act of 1998: Learn about the basic requirements of the U.K. Data Protection Act of 1998 and the minimum every organization should do in terms of data storage and protection to comply. |
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Learn more about Email archiving and compliance initiatives |
| Three tips for ensuring a user-friendly email archiving system: User acceptance is crucial to an email archiving project. Learn how complete integration, offline access and mobile access ensure a user-friendly email archiving system. |
| Email archiving primer: Benefits and implementation tips: Learn about the benefits and potential pitfalls of email archiving technology, best practices for selecting an email archiving product and user implementation tips. |
| Email archiving for storage managers: Learn the data storage aspects of email archiving, how an email archiving system works, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of email archiving. |
| Email archiving market matures: The email archiving market gains traction as users struggle to manage sprawling mailboxes and ensure compliance. Release of Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 could change market. |
| Data storage compliance in the UK: Learn how to comply with regulations such as the Data Protection Act 1998. We also tell you how to enforce data retention and access policies, and prepare for e-discovery requests. |
| Email archiving primer: Benefits and implementation tips: Learn about the benefits and potential pitfalls of email archiving technology, best practices for selecting an email archiving product and user implementation tips. |
| Email archiving for storage managers: Learn the data storage aspects of email archiving, how an email archiving system works, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of email archiving. |
| UK users turn to email archiving for e-discovery, auditing and backup help: Find out why data centre managers in the UK are implementing email archiving systems, discover their implementation tips and learn how the technology can benefit your firm. |
| Email archiving market matures: The email archiving market gains traction as users struggle to manage sprawling mailboxes and ensure compliance. Release of Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 could change market. |
| LAST UPDATED: |
09 Dec 2008
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