What happens when business negligence causes serious harm to thousands of people? If a faulty ladder injures someone, directors face prison time. If forty million people have their data stolen due to poor security, they receive a strongly worded letter. In this provocative first episode of our two-part series, Noel and Mauven examine the shocking disparity between health and safety enforcement and cybersecurity regulation in the UK. We compare the HSE's tough approach (prison sentences, director liability, millions in fines) with the ICO's gentle touch (guidance, occasional fines, zero criminal consequences). With 40 million voter records compromised at the Electoral Commission resulting in just a formal reprimand, whilst construction directors regularly face 18-month prison sentences for single workplace accidents, we ask the uncomfortable question: why is cybersecurity enforcement essentially performative? This isn't anti-business rhetoric. This is an evidence-based examination of a broken system that fails to protect either businesses or the public, presented through statistics, case studies, and historical precedent, which demonstrates that personal accountability is effective. What You'll Learn The Two Regulators: A Tale of Vastly Different Consequences Why HSE directors face up to 2 years imprisonment, whilst the ICO never imposes criminal penalties How HSE issued 13,424 enforcement notices and 399 prosecutions in 2023-24 Why the ICO issued just £2.7 million in total UK fines, whilst EU regulators issued over £1 billion The legal frameworks that create this enforcement gap The Public-Private Accountability Divide Electoral Commission breach: 40 million records compromised, 14 months of hostile state access, consequence: formal reprimand Construction site failures: single injuries lead to prison sentences and director disqualifications Why do government organisations face minimal consequences for security failures The message this sends about who matters and who doesn't Historical Context: How HSE Transformed Workplace Safety 85% reduction in workplace fatalities since the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 How personal criminal liability changed director behaviour overnight The construction industry transformation from dangerous to safety-conscious Evidence that accountability actually works when properly enforced Arguments Against Director Liability (And Why They Fail) "Security is too complex for criminal standards" - why doesn't this hold up "Small businesses can't afford proper security" - HSE already handles proportionate enforcement "Innovation will suffer" - data showing the opposite effect in the safety sector "Current system works fine" - statistics proving it demonstrably doesn't The Current State of Inertia Why ICO enforcement focuses on "guidance and support" over punishment Political pressure keeps cybersecurity consequences minimal Business lobby resistance to accountability measures The broken incentive structure that rewards negligence Key Statistics Referenced HSE Enforcement 2023-24: 13,424 enforcement notices issued 399 prosecutions brought £73.8 million in fines Regular prison sentences (average 12-18 months for serious breaches) ICO Enforcement 2023-24: £2.7 million total fines across all UK GDPR violations Zero prison sentences imposed Zero director disqualifications Focus on "guidance and support" over punishment Electoral Commission Breach: 40 million UK voter records compromised The hostile state actor maintained access for 14 months Basic security failures: poor patching, weak passwords, inadequate monitoring Consequence: Formal reprimand only Impact Statistics: 85% reduction in workplace fatalities since the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 EU regulators issued over £1 billion in GDPR fines (vs the UK's £2.7 million) Keymark Construction director: 18 months' prison for fatal fall (2023) Notable Cases Discussed Health and Safety Enforcement Keymark C