A free event in Gloucester to help businesses understand the implications of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was a great success.

Run by Gloucester's biggest law firm, Tayntons, the event was attended by 80 people, who learned about the latest important changes in data privacy regulations.

The new regulations, which come into force on May 25, 2018, set out a legal framework for the control of personal data, including potentially massive penalties for businesses and organisations who fail to comply.

Tayntons' aim was to help businesses understand the GDPR and prepare for its implementation. It also covered cyber security and provided an opportunity for networking.

It was held in partnership with Optimising IT, the information security consultancy, and Quayside St James' Place Wealth Management. Keynote speakers were Chris Price, staff partner at Tayntons (pictured above) , Todd Gifford (pictured right) from Optimising IT, and Alex Kell from Quayside.

Held at Dr Fosters Liquor Co. at Gloucester Docks, speakers were at pains to emphasise how strict the new rules were and how severe the penalties would be if businesses did not comply.

The main message was that businesses needed to make sure they take sufficient steps to ensure that the information held on individuals was protected.

Chris Price, from Tayntons, said that companies would need to ensure they were aware of what records they held for individuals, where those records were held and who had access to them.

Company employees had to be super vigilant about who they talked about and where. This included coffee shop discussions, paper diaries at reception and lawyers meeting clients in hallways. His advice was "talk less, you never know".

And he urged them to carry out a review of their own systems and processes in terms of who could find that information and who was going to manage it. He recommended all companies employ or nominate a specific person to ensure policies were in place.

The GDPR will be enforced by the Supervisory Authority and up to almost £18 million or 4 per cent of global turnover in profits can be seized if the law is breached.

Businesses needed to lay out expectations of staff in employment contracts, followed up by training sessions, risk assessments and regular checking of the security of databases.

Tayntons will be holding further training sessions for businesses on the GDPR. Contact the firm for more details.

Tayntons is a leading solicitors' practice with offices in Clarence Street, Gloucester.

For further information, telephone 01452 522047, email info@tayntons.co.uk or visit www.tayntons.co.uk

Pictured are people at the event and Tayntons partner Chris Price with speaker Alex Kell (pictured below).