Government proposals that would require telcos and internet service providers to hand over their logs on all communications data are likely to set alarm bells ringing in IT departments.

The Home Office has been quick to stress that the plans are at a early stage and might not make it into the final draft of the Communications Data Bill. But the potential for corporate communications records to end up in a government database is likely to concern many IT leaders.

Recent data losses by government departments have highlighted a worrying cultural malaise at the heart of the public sector that cannot easily be fixed by technology. A centralised database of communications records would be fairly easy to monetise if hacked by the right people. Even though these details are not set to include the content of emails or web pages visited, a flurry of messages sent from one firm to a rival, for example, could signify potential merger activity, which both parties would rather keep private.

It is also unclear how the proposed bill would impact existing industry regulations around the storage and deletion of corporate records after a specified time. Current proposals indicate that the data would be held for at least 12 months, but it could be longer.

At a time when sensitive data is a key target for criminal groups, the prospect of any information being stored by a third party with a track record of losing and abusing personal data should have IT managers on their guard.