Bryan Glick is right to point to the facts behind the recent spate of public sector data breaches, which so many have failed to do when busy playing the blame game (Don't blame it on the database, Editor's diary, editor.computing.co.uk).

The focus now needs to lie on using the lessons learned from these occurrences to improve public sector data management for the future.

While your article looks to electronic personal identity management as a way forward, public sector bodies still need to encourage a culture where information management lies at the core, and where information is valued, nurtured and used and shared appropriately. We also need to remember that no technology is perfect, especially where human interaction is involved, and therefore more failsafe processes need to be put in place when dealing with ID-sensitive information.

While restoring public confidence may be a key objective for the sector amid the torrent of media speculation, I believe that the sector is working to implement more efficient and stringent information management processes to ensure that heightened data security is achieved.

Peter Dorrington, SAS UK