Financial Services Data Protection and Cyber Security Support

Practical data protection support that holds up to FCA scrutiny, not just UK GDPR.

Financial Services
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Data Protection Support for Financial Services

Financial services firms don’t just answer to UK GDPR, they answer to the FCA at the same time, often for the same piece of data. To manage that, this sector needs practical, proportionate data protection support that holds up to both regulators at once, not just a legal interpretation of one.

At Data Protection People, we support banks, wealth managers, insurers, and financial advice firms across the UK. We understand the pressure this sector is under, from Consumer Duty’s transparency expectations to the growing use of AI in customer-facing decisions, while still delivering for clients day to day.

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Progeny Logo our Financial Services Client

10/10 across the board.

“Our main consultant Mark was really invested in the role he provided as DPO and the support service team always replied promptly and with well reasoned responses.”

Martin Ankers
Progeny

Rated 10/10 for satisfaction, communication, and likelihood to recommend

Woodgate & Clarke Financial Services Client

I really value the account management catchups and weekly podcasts.

“Everyone is so helpful and friendly and takes the time to understand the specific requirements and challenges of our business.”

Nia Roberts
Woodgate and Clark Ltd

Rated 10/10 for satisfaction, communication, and likelihood to recommend

 

 

Why Data Protection Matters in Financial Services

Financial services firms routinely process highly sensitive personal data, financial history, identity documents, vulnerability indicators, and increasingly, AI-driven decisioning data. The FCA and ICO are both watching how this is handled, and their expectations increasingly overlap.

We regularly help financial services firms with the real, day-to-day challenges this sector faces, not a generic compliance checklist:

 

  • Managing data breaches under FCA and UK GDPR at the same time

  • Handling genuinely complex, multi-system Subject Access Requests

  • Moving customer data across borders and group entities safely

  • Introducing AI into customer-facing decisions safely and transparently

  • Making real judgement calls on high-risk DPIAs

  • Making sure suppliers handle personal data properly

Financial Services Services We Provide

 

SAR Support for Financial Services

Financial services SARs are rarely simple, multiple systems, years of transaction history, third-party data mixed in with the requester’s own. We help firms manage them accurately, lawfully, and within statutory deadlines.

 

Outsourced DPO for Financial Services

Many firms benefit from an independent DPO who understands FCA expectations specifically, not generic GDPR knowledge applied to a regulated firm after the fact. Our Outsourced DPO service gives you a full team, not a single point of failure.

 

 

Data Protection Support for Financial Services Teams

Designed for compliance leads, MLROs, and in-house data protection contacts, our support service gives access to expert advice when issues arise, urgent or not.

Data Protection Audits for Financial Services

Practical, risk-based audits that reflect the regulatory weight this sector carries, clear findings, prioritised recommendations, no unnecessary complexity.

 

Training for Financial Services

Sector-specific training covering GDPR awareness, Consumer Duty’s data and AI transparency expectations, SAR handling, and breach response.

 

PCI DSS Compliance for Financial Services

Card payment data sits at the heart of this sector. We help you meet PCI DSS requirements properly, as part of your wider data protection posture, not as a separate box-ticking exercise.

ISO 27001 for Financial Services

Formal information security certification increasingly features in supplier due diligence and procurement across financial services. We help you build an ISMS that holds up to real scrutiny, not just the audit.

DataWise for Financial Services

Financial services firms run on complex, multi-system data landscapes, exactly the environment where oversight slips. DataWise gives you a live, accurate picture of your data estate, RoPA included, so you can demonstrate accountability to the FCA and ICO rather than reconstruct it after the fact.

GDPR Toolkit for Financial Services

A suite of policies, templates and documentation built around this sector’s specific pressures, DPIAs that account for FCA expectations, incident response templates that cover both regulators, and AI transparency notices that meet Consumer Duty’s standard, not a generic template pack with a new cover page.

Jasmine Harrison Consulting with a Financial Services Client

Why Organisations in the Financial Services Sector Choose to Work with Data Protection People

  • Years of dedicated experience in financial services
  • Practical FCA expertise, not just UK GDPR
  • One of the UK’s most established SAR teams
  • Data protection and cyber security, genuinely all we do
  • Real experience with AI governance and Consumer Duty
  • Plain-English advice for compliance teams and boards
  • Support that scales with firms of any size
  • Trusted by operational teams and senior leadership alike
  • A partner who understands FCA-regulated businesses inside out

Ready to talk? Fill in the form below and a specialist will be in touch within two working hours.

Speak to Our Financial Services Team Today

Our mission is to make data protection and cyber security easy: easy to understand and easy to do.
Tell us a bit about your situation and a qualified consultant will respond within two working hours.


Frequently Asked Questions

Does UK GDPR compliance mean we're automatically meeting FCA expectations?

No. UK GDPR and FCA rules overlap but aren't the same thing, the FCA has its own expectations, for example around Consumer Duty, vulnerable customer data, and AI transparency, that go beyond what UK GDPR alone requires.

What are the new data protection complaints requirements under the Data (Use and Access) Act?

Since June 2026, the Data (Use and Access) Act has required all data controllers to have a mandatory, formalised complaints process in place, alongside a higher bar for transparency where AI is used to process personal data. For financial services firms already navigating Consumer Duty, this adds a second, closely related obligation to get right.

Do we need a specific approach to AI under FCA rules?

Yes. The FCA expects firms to be able to explain how and why AI is used in customer-facing decisions, and to give customers a way to challenge or seek human review of decisions that affect them.

Do financial services firms need PCI DSS compliance as well as UK GDPR?

Yes, if you handle card payment data, PCI DSS sits alongside UK GDPR as a separate requirement, not a replacement for it. The two need to work together as part of one data protection and security posture, not as disconnected exercises.

How does the FCA and ICO's joint statement on vulnerable customers affect us?

The FCA and ICO have jointly clarified how firms should use and share data about customers in vulnerable circumstances while staying within data protection law, a clear signal this is an active area of regulatory attention.

Can an outsourced DPO understand FCA-specific expectations, not just GDPR?

Yes, that's specifically what we offer for financial services clients, DPO support from consultants who work with FCA-regulated firms regularly.