The Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK has released a new set of guidelines aimed at ensuring companies are adequately prepared for the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The GDPR is a regulation by which the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission intend to strengthen and unify data protection for individuals within the European Union . It also addresses export of personal data outside the EU. The primary objectives of the GDPR are to give citizens back the control of their personal data and to simplify the regulatory environment for international business by unifying the regulation within the EU.

The document states that decision makers and key members of organizations should make themselves aware of the upcoming changes in the law, and keep a firmer grasp on the details surrounding the information they hold.

Irish firms aren’t prepared for changes to European Data Protection law, according to survey by Mazars and McCann FitzGerald.

According to the survey, many businesses have not yet addressed some of the key requirements of the GDPR. While 82% of organisations think that meeting the challenges of GDPR will be challenging to extremely challenging, only 16% of organisations have actually mobilised a project to meet those compliance requirements. 43% envisage that creating and maintaining an inventory of personal data will be the most challenging requirement to address.

For more information on how your business can be ready before the regulation comes into force on the 25 May 2018, get in contact with us via email at info@worksmart.ie or by phone at 01 253 0480. Contact Info can be found here.