ContactPoint review ignores independent schools’ concerns

Written by Andy Cook

Deloitte’s security review of the children’s database system, ContactPoint makes worrying reading for parents. It identifies a number of security failings; points to significant risks to the database caused by lack of expertise and resource; notes the limits on the ContactPoint team’s ability to monitor breaches or control breakdowns; and hints that the true cost of fixing these bugs could be excessive.

Deloitte’s conclusion? “Government-wide security initiatives to maintain and enhance roles, responsibilities and accountability for the security of systems such as ContactPoint that extend across multiple Departments and other organizations.” Parents should be very wary of consultant doublespeak. All databases are liable to security lapses. The question for the Government is whether a “cost-benefit” analysis of the security of information about every child in England is the right approach. The security of our children’s data is priceless. The only safe, secure way to safeguard our children’s data is to scrap the whole ContactPoint system and concentrate instead on a simpler and safer system targeted only at children who are at risk as ISC pointed out in its consultation response.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 26th, 2008 at 1:15 pm by Andy Cook and is filed under News, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.