Just as Amazon makes security of the data it stores a priority, Illumina is emphasizing that the genomic data will be encrypted and will not be linked to the identity of the person whose genome has been sequenced.

FORBES: Engineering Entrepreneur Alex Dickinson Takes Illumina Into The Cloud

"If you are responsible for so many payment card details and log-in details then keeping that personal data secure has to be your priority, " said David Smith, deputy commissioner and director of data protection at the ICO.

BBC: Sony fined over 'preventable' PlayStation data hack

Orbitz's chief executive, Barney Harford, has made data mining a priority.

WSJ: On Orbitz, Mac Users Steered to Pricier Hotels