Learning 4 - Security, breaches and complaints
1. Section 4: Security, breaches and complaints
Section 4: Security, breaches and complaints
Protecting data, handling incidents and responding to people effectively.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this section, you should be able to:
- explain the integrity and confidentiality principle;
- identify a personal data breach;
- apply a structured breach response and risk assessment;
- explain the 72-hour ICO notification rule;
- describe the complaint-handling duties in force from 19 June 2026; and
- apply the full course to a realistic incident.
Security failures and poor complaint handling can turn manageable problems into serious harm. Staff should know how to recognise, contain, record and escalate concerns immediately.
Official reference points
- ICO: Personal data breaches
- ICO: How to deal with data protection complaints
- ICO: New data protection complaints law now in force
- legislation.gov.uk: Data (Use and Access) Act 2025
Legal accuracy: reviewed against official UK sources on 14 July 2026. This learning content is educational and is not a substitute for case-specific legal advice.