A few months ago, you couldn't turn on the TV or open a browser tab without seeing something relating to GDPR. Now that it's finally here, the press seems to have forgotten all about it.
That is of course, until the first really big law case hits…
In recent months, we have seen numerous attacks against some high-profile targets, for example:
- British Airways
- Superdrug
- T-Mobile
- Telefonica
- TimeHop
- Ticketmaster
Whilst the damage these attacks have caused to those involved is pretty much known about – GDPR states that you have 72 hours to notify all those affected of a breach; what is yet to be disclosed are the financial penalties imposed by the ICO (The Information Commissioners Office) – the body responsible for upholding GDPR in the UK.
Under the GDPR legislation, fines for serious breaches of personal data can stretch to €20 Million or 4% of global turnover.
For these companies hit since 25th May 2018, this could be quite a considerable dent to their profits, and as such their long-term financial stability.
How many attacks will we see where the ultimate motive for the breach will not be anything to do with the data obtained, but to see the company hit with huge financial penalties, or to see the reputation of the company destroyed?
Could GDPR be the perfect weapon for your competitors?
QA have a range of cyber security and GDPR training courses that will enable you to comply with the new legislation, but also prepare your company for the worst.
Visit cyber.qa.com for more information on how we can help solve the Cyber Security skills gap.

Mark Amory
After leaving a career as a mechanical and electrical engineer in 1998, Mark started out with a fresh career as an IT trainer. Spending the first few years as an applications trainer, Mark excelled in delivering Microsoft Office and Adobe products. In line with his background as an engineer, Mark soon shifted focus to more technical deliveries, including hardware and networking topics, a field he has remained in ever since.
As a natural progression of his career, Mark started to explore the security aspect of his existing competencies and since 2005 has specialised in the cyber security domain. Mark has been the author of a number of QA cyber security courses and was the design authority and author of the 2017 NCSC Cyber First Academy. Mark is a C|EH, a Certified EC-Council Instructor, and a CISSP.
More articles by Mark
What is a DDos attack? And how can I protect my devices against botnets?
Mark Amory, QA Cyber Security Training Delivery Manager, explains exactly what a DDoS attack is, how botnets can use compromi…
10 March 2021Massive cyber attack on US government and companies underway
Mark Amory, Cyber Security Technical Learning Consultant at QA, reports on a major cyber incident unfolding this weekend agai…
14 December 2020Pi-Hole: The DIY ad-blocker & malware defender all in one box
Mark Amory explains the Pi-Hole DNS proxy that provides a nearly ad-free web surfing experience.
09 December 2020What is ethical hacking?
Mark Amory explains what ethical hacking is and why it's important that every company uses pentesting to safeguard their IT s…
06 October 2020Mac attack! Apple malware on the rise
QA Cyber Training Delivery Manager, Mark Amory, explains that while Mac users used to be relatively safe from viruses and mal…
19 February 2020How random is random?
How random something is relies on more than just thinking of a number, it relies on a multitude of tiny, imperceptible variab…
15 November 2017Sometimes an attack might be right in front of your eyes!
QA Cyber Training Delivery Manager, Mark Amory, discusses a new exploit in X.509 certificates that allows malicious code to b…
14 March 2018Who you gonna call?
QA Cyber Training Delivery Manager, Mark Amory, looks at the behind-the-scenes organisations working tirelessly to help stop…
20 November 2018Denial of Service attack for iOS devices
QA Cyber Training Delivery Manager, Mark Amory, looks at a new raft of Denial of Service attacks that use little more than a…
27 November 2018Christmas Phishing
QA Cyber Training Delivery Manager, Mark Amory, looks at why phishing attacks are particularly effective over the festive per…
09 January 2019