Data Protection: you’re not as mature as you think

Many data protection leaders assume they have things under control.

They’ve got policies.
Are they up-to-date? Do employees understand them? Do employees follow them?

They’ve got training.
Is it relevant to employees' responsibilities? Do employees value it? Do you continually update and improve it?

They’ve got compliance reports.
Are they scrutinised and acted upon by their bosses?

Then they perform a Data Protection Maturity Assessment, and suddenly, things don’t look so solid. It’s not that they’ve done nothing. It’s that what they’ve done isn’t working as well as they thought.

Why assumptions are dangerous if you are not managing them

The biggest mistake in data protection is assuming you’re covered, because when you dig deeper, you often find:

• Policies exist, but no one follows them.

• Training is delivered, but people don’t understand it.

• Processes are written down, but they don’t reflect how the business actually operates.

It’s like thinking you’re fit because you bought a treadmill. Owning it isn’t the same as using it.

How immaturity shows up in the real world

Let’s look at some real-world examples of how an immature data protection programme causes problems:

1. No alignment with the business
A global retailer had a well-documented data protection programme that on paper, ticked every box.

But when we conducted the Data Protection Maturity Assessment, it revealed a massive issue: the programme was built around regulatory compliance, not business objectives.

• Marketing teams were launching personalised campaigns that clashed with data protection policies.

• Customer experience teams were making promises about data usage that legal hadn’t approved.

The result? Confusion, friction, and a few close calls in terms of consumer trust.

When a data protection programme doesn’t align with the business, it creates more problems than it solves.

2. Competence without business knowledge

A fintech company had a highly skilled data protection team.

They knew GDPR inside out. They could quote ISO standards from memory. They had impressive legal backgrounds.

But when asked how the company’s tech stack worked, they had no idea. They didn’t understand:

• How data flowed between their systems

• Which third-party vendors had access

• What security measures were actually in place

They were data protection experts, but lacked business knowledge and business experience.

And that meant they couldn’t offer practical, business-friendly solutions. Instead of enabling the company to innovate with guardrails, they just said "No, you can’t do that" which frustrated leadership and slowed down growth.

A mature data protection team doesn’t just know the laws and regulations. They know the business, the tech, and the risks that actually matter.

3. No buy-In from the business

A healthcare company had strong data protection policies. They’d trained their staff. They’d built risk registers. They’d set up governance committees.

But the assessment showed a critical gap - no senior leadership buy-in. C-suite executives saw data protection as a compliance issue, not a business priority. So when budgets were tight, data protection initiatives were the first to be cut.

When deadlines were looming, security processes were bypassed to 'move faster.' And when a data breach finally happened, leadership acted shocked, even though the warning signs had been there for years.

A mature data protection programme isn’t just about having the right policies. It’s about getting the business to care. Because if leadership doesn’t take data protection seriously, no one else will.

Err on the side of caution

If you’re not sure whether your programme is mature enough, assume it isn’t. Because the worst position to be in is thinking you’re fine, when you’re not.

A Data Protection Maturity Assessment doesn’t just highlight compliance gaps. It shows whether your programme is actually working for the business, or just existing on paper.

It’s a 1-2 month investment that gives you:

• A real understanding of where you are, and how to improve

• A clear, prioritised remediation plan

• A business outcome roadmap

• A draft business case that sets out what's to be done, why it needs to be done, how much time, and how much budget

• Communication material to help you present the assessment and proposed next steps to your leadership for approval to move forward

Because the companies that succeed in data protection aren’t the ones that assume they’re doing well.

They’re the ones that check, challenge, and improve, before someone else does it for them.

So the real question is: when’s the last time you checked?

Does this resonate? Feel free to book a no-obligation call to discuss your requirements.