The study of 2,000 IT professionals across Europe found that 55% are confident that other organisations are looking after their personal data properly.

Two-thirds of those surveyed ( 64%) are worried by how many organisations have access to their personal information, and 67% are worried that their data will be hacked.

With six months until the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is enforced on 25 May 2018, the research also found that one third ( 32%) of IT professionals are not confident in the ability of their own organisation to demonstrate how – and from where – the personal data it holds is sourced.

The survey of IT decision-makers in organisations with over 50 employees was conducted in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. It found that trust and confidence amongst technology professionals is higher in France – where 76% trust organisations to protect their personal data – than the UK, at 56%, and Germany, at less than half ( 48%).

Adam Maskatiya, general manager at Kaspersky Lab UK, said: “It is concerning to see that IT professionals’ experiences have led to them losing faith in organisations and their peers. This clearly indicates that there is a long way to go before businesses are actually treating the data in their care with the respect it deserves – and before the GDPR deadline hits.”