Introducing IRIS GDPR Advisor, and Megan Kane.

To get ready for the launch of our brand new IRIS GDPR Advisor, we sat down with Megan Kane, a GDPR Practitioner from The Data Support Agency – the organisation powering our latest release, to find out a bit more about who they are and how IRIS GDPR Advisor is going to change the face of data protection compliance for SMEs across the nation.

Who are The Data Support Agency and why are you working with IRIS?

We provide the UK’s leading GDPR management solution for SMEs. Our CEO began looking into GDPR compliance at an early stage but found that the only help available was in the form of expensive consultants, and their organisations weren’t large enough to warrant an in-house data support officer. So, The Data Support Agency was born! Our GDPR solution supports organisations looking to achieve and manage their GDPR compliance.

We’ve teamed up with IRIS Software because our solution is ideal for their customers, and it fits their requirements and their budget.

What are the risks if businesses aren’t compliant with GDPR?

If a business isn’t complying with GDPR, they are at risk of being fined by the ICO. The ICO are able to implement fines of up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover, whichever is higher! It’s not just fines that businesses need to worry about though, a breach of GDPR can be damaging to an organisation’s reputation.

It’s not just the ICO that can make a case against your organisation though, individuals are also able to put in personal claims for compensation if they feel that their data has been mishandled or compromised. So, there’s not just fines and bad PR to worry about, there’s also the risk of a lawsuit.

How many businesses are actually GDPR compliant?

We can’t say for sure exactly how many UK businesses aren’t compliant, but a survey carried out at the end of 2018 by Email Verifier indicated that only 36% of organisations are currently compliant with the legislation. Obviously, that statistic needs to rise!

It’s almost a year since GDPR was introduced, what are the most common things that businesses are still struggling with?

UK organisations are finding it difficult to maintain their GDPR compliance. It’s one challenge to become compliant in the first place, but then businesses need to keep on top of their responsibilities to ensure that they don’t fall behind. GDPR isn’t as simple as once you’re compliant you get a big green tick to say that everything’s fine – it’s something that you need to keep on top of all the time, and it takes a lot of work to maintain and evidence compliance as the legislation develops. 

What is IRIS GDPR Advisor?

IRIS GDPR Advisor is the perfect solution for companies looking to reduce time, resources and the cost of data protection compliance.

It helps businesses to manage and maintain their GDPR compliance in one location, taking users through a step-by-step journey, highlighting the areas that require attention, then providing all the necessary tools, templates, and processes required to make improvements to policies, processes and procedures. On top of this, the system includes a dashboard for ongoing monitoring and updates from the ICO to keep you up to date with developments in legislation.

In addition, subscription to the service includes access to our UK based support team of certified GDPR experts who can help with any of your GDPR related queries. You can get in touch with them through live chat, email and phone.

Is IRIS GDPR Advisor only for businesses just beginning their journey to compliance?

It’s suitable for businesses at any stage of the compliance process. Whether you have no knowledge of GDPR or you’ve done a lot of work on it, the portal can be used regardless of what stage you’re at, it’s designed to support your management of GDPR – even after you’ve become compliant.

What makes IRIS GDPR Advisor unique when compared against alternatives?

There’s a lot of different products on the market, but they don’t provide ongoing support, we are there for you every step of the way. The legislation is constantly adapting, but our users receive updated documentation as the legislation changes and develops, meaning that we can keep you up in the loop and make sure you have all of the materials you need to help your organisation to stay compliant.

What impact will Brexit have on GDPR, and what will this mean for UK businesses?

We’re anticipating some level of change, but we won’t know for sure until the UK leaves the EU and it comes into play. However, UK based organisations who process information to other EU countries will be required to comply with extra data transfer regulations.

There we have it! If you’re interested in learning more about how IRIS GDPR Advisor can benefit your organisation, call our team on 0344 815 5656.