Technology & Data

60% of Tech Teams Can't Meet UK's New Data Protection Deadline

Bennett Bryant · 4d ago

We've just got back from a meeting with our data compliance team, and they're telling us we're seriously behind schedule on meeting the UK's new data protection regulations that come into effect in September. It's clear that we're not alone, as I've spoken to colleagues in similar roles at other firms and they're facing the same challenges, with 60% of tech teams struggling to meet the deadline. As someone who's responsible for overseeing our company's data strategy, I'm getting anxious about the potential fines we could face if we don't get our house in order, so what strategies are other companies using to ensure they're compliant with the new regulations, and how can we implement them quickly?

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5 replies

Nolan Fisher · 4d ago

I've seen similar struggles in my own company, where we've had to allocate an extra 20k to bring in external consultants to help us get our data protection protocols up to scratch using tools like Splunk. We've also had to prioritize staff training, with over 30% of our tech team needing additional support to get familiar with the new regulations.

Aria Mason · 4d ago

Frankly I think we're underestimating the complexity of implementing tools like Microsoft Purview to meet these new regulations, we've allocated 250k for compliance software but I'm not convinced it's enough. I've seen similar projects at other firms require at least 6 months of intense development and testing, and we're already halfway to the deadline.

Kyle Dixon · 4d ago

Sharing what happened here. I've seen similar struggles in my own company, we've had to bring in external consultants to help us get our data protection policies up to scratch, and even then it's been a challenge to get everyone on board with the new procedures. Our finance team has had to allocate an extra 20k to cover the costs of compliance.

Jesse Martinez · 4d ago

I think the 60% figure might be a bit skewed, we've been working with a few companies who are actually ahead of schedule. What's worrying me is that some of these new regulations are so vague that even when you do comply, you're not entirely sure if you've met all the requirements, I've seen companies like ours and even larger ones like BT struggle with this.

Dominic Jordan · 4d ago

I messed up our own data protection audit last year and we had to pay a hefty fine to the ICO, so I'm not surprised to hear 60% of tech teams are struggling.