DataSeal joins ISO 27001 as the recognised standards for information security management. It is backed by the British Standards Institution, which administers the ISO standards.

According to the DMA, the standard is a "cost-effective" alternative for those that do not need to meet the full requirements of ISO 27001.

According to chief of membership and brand for the DMA, Robert Keitch, the standard was proposed following several "high profile instances of data theft, loss and misuse".

He said: "Companies that have been involved in well-publicised cases of breaches of their customers’ data have received rough justice at the hands of the media, lost customers, damaged their brand, and incurred significant punitive fines imposed by regulators.

"Implementing robust consumer information security measures must therefore be a top priority for any company that holds customer data; not doing so could strike a serious blow to their bottom line."

Marketing specialist Lateral Group recently obtained ISO27001 accreditation and said that the DataSeal standard was more than welcomed by the direct mail industry.

Chris Parkinson, group compliance director, said: "DataSeal is the stamp of confidence that the direct marketing industry has been crying out for. Data is the lifeblood of direct marketing and this is the first time that we, as an industry, have taken hold of this critical resource and DataSeal will soon reveal the companies that are truly committed to nurturing it.

"As this standard has been specifically written by, and for, the direct marketing industry I am confident it will have a real, demonstratable impact in helping companies move towards achieving certification in ISO 27001."