Data Protection in 2021

Protecting data has been a high focus for businesses for some time but now there are even more regulations and responsibilities for protecting data than previously. The introduction of GDPR resulted in some major changes for businesses and there have been several additional factors that have increased the importance of data protection, including the increase in cyber crime.

There have been some very high-profile cases of data breaches over the last few years, with businesses being subjected to massive fines and reputational damage, so it is vital to have the strongest and most robust security measures and processes in place.

Here are some of the key priorities and trends to be aware of in 2021:

Track and trace requirements

Another challenge that businesses will face in 2021 is a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and requirements regarding track and trace. Businesses have been required to take information from customers that they did not collect before the health pandemic, for example, restaurants and bars taking personal details of customers for track and trace purposes.

Due to the hastiness of rolling out the much-maligned government track and trace system, some businesses have put themselves at risk of breaching data protection regulations, by not having the correct processes in place to protect the data they collect. When the system was introduced, the government did not conduct a data protection impact assessment, which should be a requirement under the GDPR.

In 2021, businesses must try to ensure that they have adequate measures in place to protect the sensitive information that they are collecting. Leaving lists of customer information on a bar for anyone to read, for example, is a major breach of privacy but this has been a reality. So, more planning and training needs to go into how track and trace information is to be protected. Improvements to the technology software available for track and trace should help with this.

Ransomware attacks continue

In 2020, ransomware attacks accounted for a large number of breach investigations and this is a problem that is unlikely to go away any time soon. With an increased demand for online services due to the pandemic, cybercriminals will continue to pursue opportunities such as ransomware attacks, so businesses need to be as prepared as they can be for this. Having the highest level of website security features and making sure regular backups are made can help avoid some of the problems caused to businesses by ransomware attacks.

Brexit

There are different requirements for certain industries and businesses as a consequence of Brexit from January 1st 2021 and as far as data protection is concerned, this means that businesses in the UK will be regulated by the UK GDPR laws. However, if businesses receive data from the EU, the transfer will need to be compliant with the EU GDPR. This could involve a lot of extra work for affected businesses in 2021.

Increased spend on digital security

Last year, a government report revealed that almost half of businesses and a quarter of charities were targeted with cyber-attacks or had data breaches of some form in the previous 12 months. With this level of cybercrime to contend with, businesses have little option but to invest more money and resources into improving their security software and processes. For many businesses, a larger budget will be allocated to protecting their IT infrastructure from security risks.

Protection from power outages

A big risk to IT security that businesses often neglect to consider, is the impact of a power outage on their IT systems. Power outages can happen for many reasons and can last anything from a second to several days or even weeks before an issue can get fixed. When there is an unexpected power outage, this can damage IT equipment and can compromise the security of data, so having a solution to protect from this risk is essential for protection against data loss.

Using a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) system ensures that even if there is an unexpected power outage, there is no break in power supply, which prevents potential security risks. Businesses of all sizes can use UPS to protect their technology systems including data centres and other critical IT equipment.

Secure Power is one of the UK’s leading UPS suppliers and we also offer a UPS maintenance service, which provides an even higher level of protection to your data, by ensuring every essential bit of kit and equipment is working as it should, as well as replacing parts where necessary.

Contact us to find out more information regarding how we can help to protect your data and your IT systems with UPS.