UK businesses re-think data protection strategy.

• Position: E-DISCOVERY

Recent high-profile data breaches such as those involving eBay, Adobe, and Kickstarter, for example, have prompted many UK organizations to re-think their data protection strategies. Trend Micro's EU Data Protection Regulation report found that 68% of UK organizations are reconsidering their strategy.

The greatest threats to their data, reported UK organizations, come from accidental loss by employees (36%) and cyber attacks (29%). Many have responded by training staff to raise their awareness about data security (72%), using encrypted passwords (60%), and implementing technology for remotely wiping lost devices (47%) and for identifying network intruders (32%).

Organizations reported increasing user demand for transparency: 37% have had more requests to know what user data is being kept and where. Surprisingly, though, only 26% have a formal process for notifying customers in case of a breach and, in fact, always notify them. Almost one-third (32%) have no formal policy for notifying customers.

The impending EU General Data Protection Regulation will require all organizations that do business in EU states to immediately notify customers in the event of a data breach and to notify the applicable regulator in as few as 24 hours.

"The...