Free data protection workshop

A SKIBBEREEN company is hoping Ireland’s first 1GB town can now become one of the first places to become GDPR-ready too.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is the new EU regulation for control of all data contained by companies on individuals, and comes into effect in Ireland on May 25th.

Local firm Spearline Risk & Compliance is running a free workshop on GDPR, in conjunction with Skibbereen and District Chamber of Commerce at The West Cork Hotel at 6.30pm on Tuesday April 17th. 

As a result, Skibbereen, Ireland’s first 1 gigabyte town, is aiming to keep ahead of the curve with all things digital. This means that Skibbereen could be on track to become the first town in the EU to get GDPR-ready, thanks to the expert-led workshop.

Spearline, the award-winning software company with global reach, has created a new software solution – ‘Spearline Data Protection’ – to support businesses in their GDPR-compliance journey. 

‘Spearline is on a drive to give back to the town of Skibbereen, with their time and expertise, to make sure that every business, small and large, have the know-how to get ready for GDPR,’ said a spokesperson.

Ciara Lucy, managing director of Spearline Risk & Compliance, said that while developing the software solution, it had become evident that there was a lot of scaremongering taking place around GDPR. 

‘Small business owners are stressed and frightened of the implications for them,’ she said. 

However, she insisted that GDPR does not need to be scary: ‘We are delighted to give our professional assistance to the town to help every business, get to grips with GDPR and embrace it,’ she added.

‘Ultimately, GDPR is a positive development as it protects the rights of every EU citizen when it comes to their data. GDPR does mean that businesses have to brush up on data protection knowledge, so that they do not incur a fine for non-compliance. At 4pc of the annual turnover, this fine could put someone out of business,’ she added.

To book your free place on the ‘Skibbereen gets ready for GDPR’ workshop email [email protected]