To report myself at work?

[Moltenpink]

Someone has just sent me an email saying I have sent them someone else’s personal information instead of their own.

I have apologised & sent the correct details. Would you report yourself for the data breach or hope for the best??

YANBU- own up
YABU- hope you get away with it

As a former DPO I had to self report when I did the same thing!

If it was one person’s data it is unlikely to result in a report to the ICO.

Thanks everyone. All reported now. Gulp

Well done, OP. You did the right thing.

YANBU
it's a data protection thing, you need to allow the relevant colleagues to look at it and assess risk. It won't get you in trouble unless your colleagues are totally unreasonable or you said something hideous in the email

Op the same thing happened to me but on a bigger scale - massive dat breach I owned up immediately sure I’d be fired but because I’d been honest it played out much better.
They put in place systems to stop it happening again and things improved- I didn’t even get told off the worse punishment was me beating myself up.
Be honest and straight away :)

Well done for owning up to the error @Moltenpink.

If it’s a decent organisation, they shouldn’t be looking to apportion blame, but to stop it happening again.

Well done. It was absolutely the right thing to do.

Definitely the right thing to report.

Yes, self-report to your manager and/or the person responsible for information security at your workplace.

It's unlikely to be a serious enough breach to warrant being reported to the ICO but it's always best to let somebody with expertise make that judgement.

Just to reassure you, the ICO say the following:

"A personal data breach is a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data.

If you experience a personal data breach you need to consider whether this poses a risk to people. You need to consider the likelihood and severity of the risk to people’s rights and freedoms, following the breach. When you’ve made this assessment, if it’s likely there will be a risk then you must notify the ICO; if it’s unlikely then you don’t have to report. You do not need to report every breach to the ICO."

You have done absolutely the right thing. Mistakes happen. We are human.

Ooh, just saw your update, well done! I know it feels scary but actually it shows you have good judgement and know when to escalate something. We all make mistakes.

You have definitely made the right decision to own up . We are all human and mistakes happen.

Mistakes happen, its how you deal with the mistake that will reflect either well or badly on you.

@MotherOfDragonite

Ooh, just saw your update, well done! I know it feels scary but actually it shows you have good judgement and know when to escalate something. We all make mistakes.

Completely agree with this. My mistake meant my company was able to review and improve procedures and prevented a much much worse breach that would have happened if I hadn’t made a mistake (and then owned up) and our procedures changed.

Happens to most of us at some stage OP!

Good luck op, please don't be too hard on yourself. We are only human afterall.

No decision to be had. Do what is right.

Well done for reporting it. I hope everything is ok. I’m sure your manager appreciates your honesty and swift handling.

I know this has been sorted, but I would also own up. Not necessarily 'to do the right thing' but more..that I would be concerned I would be in MORE trouble later down the line if I didn't and it came out I knew and said nothing.

Always own up. And quickly.

I made a similar mistake earlier in the year OP. Reported it, informed the individual whose information it was. I felt awful but it was fine. My managers commended my honesty and quick action. It happens. You've absolutely done the right thing here

Definitely own up. If you get found out you'll be considered dishonest. It's a human error. Deal with it now whilst it's manageable.

I'm a big believer in honesty is the best policy especially at work.

I'm a SAHM now but back in the day one of the best bits advice a Manager gave me was that we all make mistakes so never try to hide it as you will get found out eventually.

It worked well for me over the years.