BSA urges stronger data protection rules

The BSA wants Europeans to exert more control over their data

The Business Software Alliance (BSA) has called for better co-operation between government and business on data storage and cyber security so that Europeans can rest easy that their personal information is safe.

European citizens have a remarkable lack of knowledge about where their personal or professional data is stored, according to the results of a recent survey of adults in France, Germany, Spain, Poland and the UK.

The BSA found that one in five do not know whether their data is 'held in the cloud', and just under two-thirds have no idea what 'in the cloud' means.

The organisation will present the results of the survey at its third annual Cyber Security Awareness Day in Brussels today, explaining that respondents had expressed an interest in data security on an international, rather than individual or national, scale.

However, this opinion varied from country to country. Citizens in Spain and Poland are the most keen on a co-ordinated approach, while UK residents are the least enthusiastic.

More than a quarter of all respondents said that securing data should be the responsibility of a range of parties, including governments, businesses, technology companies and consumers.

"Most Europeans are looking for global leadership and collaboration to protect their personal information from hackers and cyber criminals," said Francisco Mingorance, senior director of government relations at the BSA.

"The BSA is responding to these concerns by preparing a global cyber security policy framework that can help guide future international co-operation on securing the online environment."