Compliance Beyond PCI: What Other Regulations UK Businesses Must Prepare for in 2026

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, so do the rules that govern how organisations protect data, manage risks, and maintain compliance. For years, PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) has been a major focus for businesses handling cardholder data. But as 2026 approaches, compliance is expanding beyond PCI.

UK businesses are now expected to prepare for a broader regulatory shift — covering everything from cybersecurity and data protection to operational resilience and AI governance. Understanding these changes early can save organisations from costly non-compliance penalties and reputational damage.

Why Compliance Is Evolving Beyond PCI

The pace of digital transformation, AI adoption, and cloud migration has outgrown traditional compliance frameworks. While PCI DSS remains critical for businesses processing card payments, it no longer covers the full spectrum of modern risks.

Regulators are now enforcing new frameworks that address cyber resilience, third-party risks, and data governance. This means UK businesses must move from a reactive, checkbox-based approach to a proactive, automated compliance strategy.

Organisations that prepare early will not only meet requirements but also gain a competitive edge by building trust and transparency into their operations.

1. GDPR and the UK Data Protection Act – Still the Foundation

Even though the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK Data Protection Act 2018 have been in place for years, they remain at the core of data compliance.

Post-Brexit, the UK continues to maintain its own version of GDPR, with potential updates expected in 2026 under the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (DPDI).

Businesses should pay close attention to:

• Enhanced data subject rights
• Stricter cross-border data transfer rules
• Automated decision-making and AI use policies

Failing to stay compliant could result in heavy fines, up to £17.5 million or 4% of annual turnover, whichever is higher.

For companies that rely on customer data, maintaining GDPR compliance isn’t optional; it’s the baseline for every other regulatory requirement.

2. NIS2 Directive – Strengthening Cyber Resilience

The NIS2 Directive (Network and Information Systems Directive) is one of the most significant cybersecurity updates coming to the UK and EU by 2026.

It expands on the original NIS framework, covering a wider range of industries, including:

• Digital service providers
• Supply chain partners
• Managed service providers
• Healthcare, energy, transport, and financial sectors

NIS2 emphasises risk management, supply chain security, and incident reporting. Businesses must:

• Implement robust cybersecurity measures
• Ensure suppliers follow equivalent standards
• Report incidents within strict timeframes

For many UK organisations, especially SMEs, NIS2 will demand a structured compliance management system, something automation platforms like Gradeon’s framework can simplify by tracking, reporting, and managing cross-project compliance efforts.

3. DORA – Digital Operational Resilience Act

If your business operates in or serves the financial sector, the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is a major regulation to prepare for.

Coming into effect in early 2025 across the EU, and expected to influence UK regulators by 2026, DORA focuses on ensuring that financial institutions and their suppliers can withstand and recover from IT disruptions.

DORA covers:

• ICT risk management
• Incident classification and reporting
• Operational resilience testing
• Third-party risk oversight

Even if your organisation isn’t directly under EU law, UK firms that work with EU clients or partners will likely be expected to align with DORA standards.

Automation and continuous monitoring are key here, helping businesses maintain visibility over risk and compliance across multiple entities.

4. ISO 27001:2022 – Modernising Information Security

The latest update to ISO 27001 reflects the growing need for flexible, cloud-based security controls.

The 2022 revision includes new controls for:

• Threat intelligence
• Cloud service configuration
• Secure coding
• Data masking and information deletion

Achieving or maintaining ISO 27001 certification shows that your organisation is serious about data security and governance. But managing audits, documentation, and evidence collection can be time-consuming.

Platforms like Gradeon’s automation framework streamline this process — enabling businesses to centralise control evidence, track audit readiness, and ensure ongoing compliance without manual effort.

5. AI and Ethical Data Governance

With the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and machine learning, regulators are now moving towards formal AI governance frameworks.

The EU AI Act, and its likely UK counterpart, will set rules for transparency, bias prevention, and accountability in AI systems.

UK businesses using AI for decision-making, analytics, or customer interactions should begin preparing for:

• Algorithm transparency and explainability
• Ethical use of data
• Bias detection and model testing
• Risk-based classification of AI systems

Proactively documenting how AI models are trained and used will soon be a compliance requirement, not just a best practice.

6. ESG and Sustainability Reporting

Another emerging compliance area for 2026 is ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting.

Large organisations and their suppliers are increasingly expected to disclose sustainability metrics, ethical sourcing, and social impact.

For UK businesses, new frameworks like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) are setting the tone for transparent reporting and accountability.

Even SMEs that aren’t directly regulated may need to comply indirectly through supply chain obligations, making ESG data collection and reporting an integral part of compliance strategy.

How Businesses Can Prepare – The Smart Way

With so many frameworks evolving at once, maintaining compliance manually is becoming nearly impossible. Spreadsheets, siloed teams, and disconnected audits only increase the chance of error.

The smarter approach is to:

• Automate compliance workflows – reduce manual tracking and reporting
• Unify all frameworks – map PCI DSS, ISO, GDPR, and others under one system
• Enable real-time visibility – monitor compliance status across departments
• Simplify evidence collection – automatically gather documents and logs for audits

By working to an integrated compliance framework, such as the one provided by Gradeon, organisations can reduce duplication, save time, and ensure continuous compliance without last-minute pressure.

Final Thoughts

As 2026 draws closer, compliance is no longer just about PCI DSS, it’s about building a resilient, transparent, and accountable business environment.

From NIS2 and DORA to AI governance and ESG reporting, the future of compliance will demand agility and automation.

UK businesses that act now, modernising their compliance systems and embracing automation, will not only stay ahead of regulations but also build trust, resilience, and long-term success in an increasingly complex digital world.