Cornish businesses could risk seven-figure fines by falling foul of new data protection rules, according to a local expert.

A Cornish lawyer who carried out a survey at the recent Cyber Security Awareness Week in Exeter said results showed that none of the attendees were ready for the new law, with half yet to take any action to prepare.

The General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (GDPR) will come into force in 2018, bringing major changes to the data protection laws, along with fines of up to two million Euros or 4% of worldwide turnover.

The government has confirmed the GDPR will apply in the UK in full despite the recent Brexit vote.

Jowanna Conboye, solicitor at Stephens Scown LLP in Truro and a specialist in data protection law said: ’While many local businesses are getting ready for the data protection changes, some have yet to get off the mark. This needs to be one of the key priorities for businesses this year. Although the law does not come into force until next year, some businesses will need to make major changes to their systems and procedures to be compliant and they need to start now.’