A parliamentary inquiry into cyber security has commenced following the attack on TalkTalk’s website. The Culture, Media and Sport Committee wants to examine how companies both store and secure customer information and see if the data breach at TalkTalk could have wider implications for the telecommunications sector.

Stakeholders and interested parties are being invited to air their views on the robustness of measures that firms are putting in place to safeguard personal data and how much they are investing in this area.

Other issues on the agenda will include how TalkTalk responded to the data breach and whether or not supervisory, regulatory and enforcement regimes are currently fit for purpose. Jesse Norman, chair of the committee, commented: “The recent events have highlighted serious issues relating both to existing cyber-security and the response to cyber crime.

“This committee is concerned with the attacks on TalkTalk specifically as a telecoms and internet service provider, but with the recent move of the Information Commissioner’s Office to DCMS, we will also be looking more widely at the security of personal information online.”