Companies and consumers suffered a record number of cyber-attacks and data breaches last year as businesses failed to keep data private and customers had little control over how companies used or held personal information.

The imminent implementation of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), enforceable in all EU countries from May 25th, is designed to change this. But it will be expensive for businesses who haven’t prepared properly. Companies face fines of up to €20m or 4% of overall turnover for non-compliance.

Whilst GDPR has been on the agenda for months and many businesses have taken the basic steps to ensure they are compliant next month, there are three key steps many have overlooked.

1. Ensure you know what data your business holds

Ensuring you’re fully aware of all the data your business holds seems like a daunting task. However, taking these steps is essential for full compliance. It is likely that your business has a range of unprotected personal data sources and it will be vital to understand where these are to identify potential weaknesses.

Email archives hold a wide range of personal data in every business. Personal information on employees, clients and customers is all transmitted via email, and therefore stored in email archives across the business.

Another popular channel for sensitive corporate information which many businesses will not have considered is printing and scanning devices. These internally networked devices store and process data and have the same vulnerabilities as any other networked endpoint device. It’s imperative that this data is protected at all times.

Galaxkey’s MFD-Secure hardware device helps businesses monitor and secure printers and scanners, helping you protect and control your data to achieve GDPR compliance.

2. Educate your employees

It is important for leadership to take GDPR seriously but it is also important that each of your employees are fully aware of GDPR and the actions they need to take to ensure the whole business is, and remains, compliant. It’s likely that many of your employees are going to be handling sensitive information, which is in some way subject to GDPR regulation, and a programme of staff awareness should be a key part of your GDPR compliance strategy.

Cascading the necessary information to your employees on how they need to prepare or even appointing a GDPR compliance figure within your organisation is a smart step to avoid a hefty fine.

3. Look at the bigger picture beyond simple compliance

GDPR presents a unique opportunity for businesses to become leaders in the data regulation space, using the impending regulation to provide a better, more transparent service to customers.

Whilst some organisations have taken on board the process and policy changes they need to ensure basic compliance, a low percentage have conducted the type of wider review necessary to future-proof their businesses against potential pitfalls and vulnerabilities. This misses the main objective of the regulation, which is to encourage businesses to better prioritise how they look after consumers’ information.

Using GDPR as an opportunity to conduct a full inventory of how your organisation manages and secures people’s data could mean reduced costs later down the line.

Galaxkey can help with all of these challenges. We are GDPR experts who have been thinking about, talking about and building products for GDPR long before most had ever heard of it. We provide simple solutions and consultations to ensure that every part of your business is sufficiently secure and data is kept private.  Galaxkey’s products are industry-leading and highly innovative, from our new printer-protecting hardware to our clear, intuitive online data management hub.

Ready to take your GDPR preparation to the next level? Visit Galaxkey: https://www.galaxkey.com/