Berlin – Today, global law firm CMS announces the launch of its Breach Assistant app, a technology platform that gives businesses affected by a potential data breach a headstart during the first critical hours.
Prompt response and action is essential and typically required within the first few hours after a breach has been detected, but businesses may be unsure of what their notification requirements are. This is clear from CMS’ GDPR enforcement tracker (the world’s only free running list of publicly announced fines issues under the GDPR), which shows an unnecessary amount of fines being issued for insufficient fulfilment of breach notification obligations and for insufficient technical and organisational measures to ensure information security.
Weak responses to breaches and failures to accurately report them are often symptomatic of broader information security failures in organisations.
The platform, which is a first in the market to offer such depth of functionality and extensive coverage, has been more than a year in the making. Breach Assistant helps businesses navigate through the event of a crisis, and guides them on timeframes, contacts and information spanning data laws in more than 70 countries - all from a mobile phone.
Emma Burnett, Head of Data Protection at CMS and the project lead, said: “Despite GDPR having been in play for more than two years, uncertainty still exists around compliance with the law and risk mitigation.
“It is now becoming increasingly obvious that the businesses falling at the first hurdle and failing to bring in regulators from the outset can be disproportionately damaged in the long run, both financially and reputationally.”
The Breach Assistant app has been put together by those who have been at the heart of advising on GDPR laws for years, including former regulators. It consolidates all the information and resources a business needs to respond to a breach, easily accessible from a mobile phone.
Duncan Weston, Executive Partner of CMS, added: “At CMS, being at the forefront of legal technology innovation runs through our DNA. Earlier this year, we saw the launch of open industry platform Lupl, which will fundamentally improve collaboration within the sector. The launch of Breach Assistant is our latest example that demonstrates our commitment to equipping businesses with the best tools available to stay ahead of legal issues and trends that are set to define the next decade.”
Notes to Editors
Breach Assistant is an innovative mobile platform developed together with the deep expertise of global law firm CMS, arming businesses with information and guidance to more quickly assemble and act once a data breach has been identified. Easily accessible from a smartphone, Breach Assistant guides those responsible for data privacy through the process, offering advice relevant to a wide range of sectors and jurisdictions, particularly across the EEA. The app is available to download on iOS and Android from the App Store, and comes in a free and premium version.
About CMS
Founded in 1999, CMS is an integrated, multi-jurisdictional organisation that offers full-service legal and tax advice. With more than 70 offices in over 40 countries across the world and more than 4,800 lawyers, CMS has long-standing expertise both in advising in its local jurisdictions and across borders. From major multinationals and mid-caps to enterprising start-ups, CMS provides the technical rigour, strategic excellence and long-term partnership to keep each client ahead in its chosen markets.
The CMS member firms provide a wide range of expertise across 19 practice areas and sectors, including Corporate/M&A, Energy & Climate Change, Funds, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Technology Media and Communications, Tax, Banking & Finance, Commercial, Competition & EU, Dispute Resolution, Employment & Pensions, Intellectual Property and Real Estate & Construction. Revenues totalled EUR 1.43bn in 2019.
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Press Contact
presse@cms-hs.com
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