May 2021- the third anniversary of the GDPR

As we reach the third anniversary of the GDPR this May, it is important to evaluate the impact the law has had on data security.

While the General Data Protection Regulation produced an important, necessary update to the UK’s decades-old Data Protection Act (1998), data breaches show no sign of abetting. It still appears that many businesses may still be failing to comply with the law today.

Taking account of the changes of the digital age, in which consumers regularly share data with third parties online, the GDPR obliges businesses to ensure that they protect personal data with appropriate technical and organisational methods. When they fail in this responsibility, they could face enforcement action from the Information Commissioner’s Office, the regulator responsible for monitoring compliance with the GDPR in the UK.

Moreover, the GDPR can also enable victims of data protection breaches to claim compensation for the harm caused. If you have been affected by a data breach incident, you may be within your rights to make a claim, and we have the expertise to advise you and lead your claim to fruition.

The third anniversary of the GDPR – the state of data security

Despite the threat of enforcement action when the GDPR is not complied with, many businesses still neglect to comply with the law. In fact, in the years since the GDPR came into force, we have seen some of the most wide-reaching data breach incidents ever to have occurred in the UK. The Virgin Media data breach affected around 900,000 victims, the British Airways incident hit over 400,000 customers, and the EasyJet cyberattack affected over 9 million people.

Most of all, as we reach the third anniversary of the GDPR, a major threat to data security continues to be human error. A huge number of data breaches stem from human error incidents, and this factor only becomes more dangerous as cybercriminals develop more sophisticated methods of hacking private data.

What needs to be done?

On the third anniversary of the GDPR, we believe that data controllers should be taking stock of their current data protection measures and identifying what more they should do. The figures on human error would suggest that a number of organisations need to be educating their employees on their own responsibilities and the rules that they must follow. Close attention to cybersecurity is also required, as holes in system defences can give hackers an easy route in.

Compensation claims for data breach victims

For those who have been affected by data breaches, compensation claims provide a means of taking action against the data controller responsible for the incident. We have been helping claimants to assert their right to data privacy since 2014, several years before the GDPR was even introduced, and we will continue to do so now we have reached the third anniversary of the GDPR.

Our successful history of bringing data breach claims means that we have all the expertise needed to win you the compensation you deserve. Whether you suffered distress or financial losses, the law is there to protect you and we can help to ensure its purpose is executed.

To find out more about making a claim, contact our team for free, no-obligation advice on your right to recover compensation.

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