Well over half of UK executives are neglecting to ensure their business complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
According to new research from cloud solution provider Calligo, 69 per cent of companies are unprepared for the new regulations, and at risk.
The figures are taken from a survey of 500 IT decision-makers in companies with more than 100 employees and £15m turnover.
Only 31 per cent of respondents said they had governance sponsorship for GDPR at board level, while just 9 per cent said their compliance departments were giving them full support.
Julian Box, CEO at Calligo, said: “It is worrying to see signs that GDPR governance does not have the full attention of so many C-level executives.
“Too many of those at the top think it is all about security, when that is only a part of it.
“The deadline for compliance is May 25 next year and any company that subsequently fails to handle data in the correct manner risks the severe penalties stipulated in the regulation.
“The top people in every organisation need to get to grips with this challenge, ensuring that their data is being stored and handled in full compliance.”
This lack of interest at the top level comes despite more than six out of ten 62 per cent respondents agreeing the new regulation would affect the profitability of their business.
Calligo’s survey found that only 43 per cent of companies have appointed and resourced a Data Protection Officer, despite this being a requirement of the GDPR for medium-sized and larger businesses.
In IT and telecoms, the figure is just 37 per cent, while in manufacturing and utilities it is just 36 per cent.
Calligo is an expert in the General Data Protection Regulation, which comes into force next year and which will standardize the protection of personal data of EU citizens.