The EU Data Protection Laws are changing
Corporate impact of new Data Protection legislation not widely understood, reveals new survey
Survey finds 32% of public and private sector professionals are not aware of the effect of forthcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation
Almost a third of public and private sector professionals are not aware of what the forthcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will mean to them or their organisations. This was the finding of a survey carried out by iStorage, which asked a range of professionals including Intelligence Officers, Security Officers, Engineers and IT Security Advisors for their views on matters of data security and encryption. The survey took place at Counter Terror Expo 2015, a key event for those involved in mitigating terrorist threats across the globe.
The EU will soon have the power to fine companies €100 million or 5% of their annual turnover if they are found to be in breach of the new legislation – and GDPR compels anyone who holds data on EU citizens to implement adequate security measures to protect data from loss or theft. With encryption largely recognised as the primary method of security by rendering data unintelligible to any unauthorised access, the forthcoming legislation exempts anyone from notifying the affected subjects if the data that was lost or stolen was encrypted.
“The EU’s position is very clear: all personal information must be protected by adequate security to prevent the loss or theft of data,” states John Michael, CEO of iStorage. “The majority of significant security breaches occur where confidential data has been stored on an unencrypted portable device. Organisations need to give serious consideration to minimising the risks of loss by ensuring that all portable media devices containing personal information are robustly encrypted.”
90% of respondents to the survey at Counter Terror Expo in London confirmed that policies are in place within their organisations covering data protection matters, while a further 80% were specifically aware of who was directly responsible for data protection with these organisations. Asked about the methods currently used to store business data, 22% confirmed the use of cloud technology, yet a sizeable number (65%) did not consider the cloud to be a secure method of storing confidential data.
iStorage’s range of PIN protected hardware encrypted USB data storage devices ensure that companies do not breach the new GDPR legislation. At Counter Terror Expo 2015, the company officially launched a new super speed, high-performance USB 3.0 drive with hardware encryption to the UK market. The new datAshur SSD was developed as iStorage recognised a demand for vast capacity and high-performance USB drives that allowed the secure and easy portability of confidential data and encrypts information at rapid 3.0 speeds.
John Michael adds, “Counter Terror Expo provided the ideal platform to introduce the professionals tasked with mitigating terrorist threats to our range of ultra-secure portable data storage solutions. These survey findings reveal that there is significant need for robust and encrypted devices that protect organisations, ahead of this legislation coming into effect.”
About iStorage
iStorage provides high performance and ultra secure portable data storage and security products to users who need to protect their data held on PCs, Macs and portable devices. The founders of iStorage are pioneers in their field and hold several patents, both granted and pending, on a range of related data storage and security products. With a strong belief in careful product selection and unrivalled customer service, iStorage continues to deliver market leading innovations in portable data storage and digital encryption technology. Further information can be found on www.istorage-uk.com or by contacting info@istorage-uk.com / +44 (0)20 8991 6260, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter