According to Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham, only 19% of companies are being contacted by the UK’s privacy watchdog which is offering a free data protection audit.

Over the past few years, 186 companies have voluntarily reported their data to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) which has reported a total of more than 600 incident reports.

Currently, companies are not under any obligation to report data breaches; however it has been reported that the European Commission is hoping to introduce a new law that will make firms tell their customers when their data is exposed.

European Union Justice and Rights Commissioner, Viviane Reding, stated that the legislation would create a stronger incentive for businesses to conduct risk assessments, which would better protect personal data.

Reding stated: “Putting people back in control of their personal data is a priority for me, and I welcome the European Parliament’s support for this approach. I would also like to thank Mr. Voss in particular for his excellent report”.

The European Parliament is hoping to strengthen data protection laws and is hoping that this new law, if passed, will help do so. In the past year, there have been more data security breaches reported than in any previous year on record.