The Basildon Council in the U.K. recently discovered a data breach that exposed staff members' sensitive information online. The data came from a contractor working with the local government organization and included names and dates of birth, as well as health and contact information.

The breach was uncovered by an employee and the organization removed the information as soon as the incident was brought to its attention. The council also informed worried employees that the sensitive information stored within its main system was untouched.

"We are not aware of whether the information was accessed whilst it was available on the internet, but we also do not have any specific information to suggest that staff will be affected as a result of this," said the council's head of corporate services Dawn French. "However, we have suggested to staff that they take precautionary measures in relation to any calls or other contact which is unusual or suspicious and to report anything of concern their manager."

Educating employees on data security and compliance policies is one way to reduce the chances of suffering from a breach. However, organizations should also ensure these procedures are followed and practiced in order to improve data loss prevention.