Skeletons in the Server Room

The scariest data protection risks are the ones you can’t see. From zombie data to ghost suppliers, here’s how an independent GDPR audit helps you find what’s lurking and deal with it with confidence.
These documents may have been reviewed, and oftentimes approved at Board level. You might even require employees to sign that they have understood their responsibilities in them, but the question still remains. Are your data protection policies actually working?

Policy vs practice
Having policies in place and having effective data protection compliance processes are two very different things, and having policies is not indicative that you are meeting your obligations. Even the best policy does little to protect personal data or ensure compliance if staff don’t understand it, internal processes don’t reflect it, and no one checks if it’s followed.

Your data protection policies are written. Are they actually working?

While most organisations recognise internal policies such as a Data Protection, Data Breach, Retention, or Subject Access Request Policy, as vital components of the data protection compliance framework, simply having them written is only part of the equation.

These documents may have been reviewed, and oftentimes approved at Board level. You might even require employees to sign that they have understood their responsibilities in them, but the question still remains. Are your data protection policies actually working?

Policy vs practice
Having policies in place and having effective data protection compliance processes are two very different things, and having policies is not indicative that you are meeting your obligations. Even the best policy does little to protect personal data or ensure compliance if staff don’t understand it, internal processes don’t reflect it, and no one checks if it’s followed.

DPAS Data Protection Bulletin – September 2026

Welcome back to our monthly DPAS bulletin, where we cover the latest data protection news and developments from around the world.

Ever wondered how a routine government spreadsheet leak turns into a two-year covert court order? How about why the police might feel your mother-in-law’s contact details were key to national security? Have you ever pondered how many working weeks it takes to read a cookie banner? Whether Wall Street knows about your last GP visit? Or if you’re in Australia (g’day) why an AI is sending notes on your worst rashes to faraway cloud servers?

Read about all this and more in our latest DPAS Data Protection Bulletin.

Navigating SAR Chaos: Why PDF Conversion and Deduplication Are Your Secret Weapons

When a Subject Access Request lands in your inbox, the one-month clock starts ticking immediately, and the real bottleneck usually isn’t finding the data, it’s wading through duplicate files and endless email threads. Discover why deduplication and PDF conversion aren’t just nice-to-haves but non-negotiable steps in your SAR pipeline: cutting review volume by up to 60%, closing redaction loopholes, and delivering a secure, universally accessible disclosure , all while keeping your compliance team sane and your deadline intact.

DPAS Data Protection Bulletin – August 2026

Welcome back to our monthly DPAS bulletin, where we cover the latest data protection news and developments from around the world.

Ever wondered how a routine government spreadsheet leak turns into a two-year covert court order? How about why the police might feel your mother-in-law’s contact details were key to national security? Have you ever pondered how many working weeks it takes to read a cookie banner? Whether Wall Street knows about your last GP visit? Or if you’re in Australia (g’day) why an AI is sending notes on your worst rashes to faraway cloud servers?

Read about all this and more in our latest DPAS Data Protection Bulletin.

Should All My Employees Be Able to Recognise a Subject Access Request?

Data protection is not just about cybersecurity; it relies on your employees recognising Subject Access Requests. The statutory one-month deadline begins the moment a request is received, even informally. Discover why training your entire workforce to instantly spot and escalate these requests is essential to avoid serious regulatory compliance breaches.

DPAS Data Protection Bulletin – July 2026

Welcome back to our monthly DPAS bulletin, where we cover the latest data protection news and developments from around the world.

Ever wondered how a routine government spreadsheet leak turns into a two-year covert court order? How about why the police might feel your mother-in-law’s contact details were key to national security? Have you ever pondered how many working weeks it takes to read a cookie banner? Whether Wall Street knows about your last GP visit? Or if you’re in Australia (g’day) why an AI is sending notes on your worst rashes to faraway cloud servers?

Read about all this and more in our latest DPAS Data Protection Bulletin.

Root Cause Analysis: A Practical Guide

A practical guide to data breach reporting under UK GDPR, covering when you must notify the ICO, how to report a breach (and what to do if you don’t need to), and when affected individuals need to be told. Includes the key steps, timeframes, and documentation requirements to keep your organisation compliant.

How to Report a Data Breach: A Practical Guide

A practical guide to data breach reporting under UK GDPR, covering when you must notify the ICO, how to report a breach (and what to do if you don’t need to), and when affected individuals need to be told. Includes the key steps, timeframes, and documentation requirements to keep your organisation compliant.

How to Respond to a Data Breach: A Practical Guide

This blog provides an overview of the practical steps organisations can take to reduce the impact of a data breach once it has been identified. It focuses on the actions that should be taken during the early stages of an incident to contain the breach, protect affected individuals, and meet regulatory requirements.

The article discusses a range of mitigation measures, including contacting unintended recipients of personal data, securing the deletion or recovery of exposed information, isolating compromised systems, and maintaining clear records of actions taken. It also explores the challenges posed by both digital and physical data breaches, highlighting the importance of balancing operational needs with data protection obligations.

Finally, the blog emphasises the value of preparation, explaining how established procedures, communication templates, and predefined response plans can help organisations respond more effectively and demonstrate accountability during a regulatory investigation.

DPAS Data Protection Bulletin – June 2026

The latest data protection news and developments from all around the world.

How to Assess a Data Breach: A Practical Guide

This blog explains how to assess a data breach by identifying its cause, determining what information was exposed, and evaluating the potential impact on affected individuals and the organisation. It outlines common causes of breaches, the importance of understanding the type and scale of compromised data, and how assessing the timeline of an incident can help businesses respond effectively, meet legal obligations, and reduce long-term risks.