News
Nearly a third of European firms aren’t compliant with GDPR - comment from Fujitsu
July 2019 by Haroon Malik, Director of Cyber Security Consulting at Fujitsu UK
This morning’s survey that found nearly a third of European firms aren’t compliant with GDPR. Below a comment from Haroon Malik, Director of Cyber Security Consulting at Fujitsu. Haroon argues that the findings should not be a reason for panic and that organisations are making concerted efforts into changes around the use and perception of data, which cannot happen overnight.
“We live in an age when trust is increasingly top-of-mind, and this will only get more heightened as technology becomes more commonplace and pivotal to everyday life. GDPR helps cement a responsible attitude towards data and privacy across all industries, and the fact that nearly a third of European firms are still not GDPR compliant is worrying. As the amount of companies fined for breaking laws protecting consumers’ data begin to pile up – and these fines have the potential to dent a company’s reputation – more organisations need to start taking GDPR seriously.
“But this is by no means a reason to panic. Whilst some firms are still working to understand how GDPR is applied to their business model or industry, compared to five or six years ago, there’s been a real change in how companies use and process data. One year after GDPR came into force, businesses have become more mindful of how and why they collect and store data and are taking steps to process this in a lawful way. It’s by no means perfect, but it’s positive to see that organisations are making a concerted effort to improve their data governance.
“This shift in how organisations and individuals perceive and use data cannot happen overnight. This requires a change in perception, and many business owners can feel overwhelmed by the new laws, which is why they will need time and support from both the community and regulators to make the best out of GDPR.”
