'People are weakest link in data security'
ONE of the biggest threats to any company's data security is the people who work for it, be they directors or employees, delegates at this year's Carey Olsen data protection and cyber security conference heard.
This was a recurring theme throughout the morning's presentations, along with advice on how local firms could make sure they were ready for the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation in May 2018. Delegates were also told of the various challenges and requirements that companies will face under the changes, such as the need to report serious data breaches within 72 hours and the appointment of data protection officers.
GDPR is being implemented across the European Union but in order for the island to continue to have free access to EU markets it will have to introduce equivalent regulations.
'The policy and driver of this is the free flow of data to Guernsey,' said CI data protection commissioner Emma Martins.
She said the island should not worry about how Brexit might impact on the UK's implementation of GDPR.
'We stand on our own on data.
'Forget what the UK are doing.
'We are keen to be a centre of excellence for data,' she said.
