Chi Onwurah MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, responding to TalkTalk’s admission that nearly 157,000 people had their data breached in the recent cyber-attack, said:

“Companies that hold people’s personal data need to take greater responsibility to keep it secure and it’s the job of Ministers to make sure this happens.  Many people who have been affected by the TalkTalk cyber-attack are still not clear whether they are entitled to any compensation or protection. I have called on the Government to put a code of practice in place to deal with these kinds of incidents, which are becoming increasingly common.

“Ministers also need to do more to ensure that people know their rights and that companies follow the spirit as well as the letter of their obligations on data protection. It’s the Government’s job to ensure that UK businesses are prepared for the increasing number and sophistication of cyber-attacks, particularly those that form part of our national infrastructure.”