Are you ready for the biggest change to data protection since 1998?

We are on the verge of the biggest shake-up to data protection and compliance laws since the Data Protection Regulation two decades ago. During this time, the way businesses work and the technology we use have transformed.  Now, with the onset of the General Data Protection Regulation later this year, businesses need to be fully informed and have the appropriate systems and processes in place to properly manage personal data to ensure they are fully compliant.

Daily, there is news coverage around data breaches of high-profile corporate and public-sector organisations, and whilst these businesses may get knocked by the press, the fines are nowhere near the levels that will be seen when the GDPR come into force.

Over the past eighteen months, a lot of information has been communicated about the upcoming regulations, but the specifics around data processed through office printing have been neglected and could be a vulnerable point, leaving businesses exposed if they don’t address this issue seriously.

It’s a fact that many businesses are still reliant on paper as part of their business processes.  Indeed, Quocirca stated that 48% of respondents believe paper remains very important to their daily business.  Far from a dying technology, 59% state that they actually expect their print usage to increase.  However, as part of GDPR, businesses must take into consideration the protection of these documents, and consequently the MFDs and printers that are used across their organisation.

Recent research by merchant banking group, Close Brothers’ revealed that just one in three (33.3%) SMEs are aware of GDPR’s implications, even though they are covered by the majority of its provisions, so UK businesses must prepare now and ensure they are compliant.

There has been a lot of hype over GDPR.  Over the next few weeks, we will share a series of blog posts, regarding the real facts and provide insight into how you can protect your printed and electronic documents to remain GDPR compliant.