Software guide

Respond to a personal data breach in a small business

Contain a data breach, assess the risk to the people affected, decide whether to report it to the ICO and tell individuals, and record what happened.

Estimated time: first actions within hours, full review over daysUpdated: 28 September 2026

Use this guide if personal data your business holds has been lost, stolen, sent to the wrong person, accessed without permission or deleted by mistake. Act quickly, because reporting deadlines are short. This is general information; for serious breaches get advice from a qualified professional.

Step by step

  1. Contain the breach

    Stop it getting worse. Ask a wrong recipient to delete an email and confirm they have, change passwords, disable compromised accounts, or lock a lost device remotely. Preserve evidence such as emails and logs rather than deleting them.

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