The BSI said the standard, called DPC BS 10012, was being published partly in response to the spate of data protection breaches that occurred in 2008.
"Data protection has been the focus of much public attention over the last year and this standard will help organisations demonstrate that they are handling personal information responsibly," said Gordon Wanless, chairman of the DPC BS 10012 Drafting Panel and chairman of the Data Protection Forum.
The standard, which was drawn up by a group of experts from academia, government and industry, applies to any organization, private or public, that holds personal information on individuals.
The public can comment on a published draft, the deadline for which is 31 March 2009.
A green direct marketing standard, created by the BSI with input from the DMA, Royal Mail, client body ISBA and Acxiom, will launch next week on 21 January.
Information Commissioner Richard Thomas told a Parliamentary Committee hearing last week that the issue of data protection is becoming ever more important as more organisations opt to keep data.
"The power and benefits of database technology, coupled with instantaneous and comprehensive global communications, have been widely appreciated by businesses, by government and by individuals," he told the Justice Select Committee on 7 January. "Dramatic reductions in the cost of collecting, processing and storing data have fuelled the growth in their use. It is often said that it is now cheaper to store data than delete it."
Find out more about BS 10012:2009 Data protection. Specification for a personal information management system here
.jpg)
.jpg)