Until 2018, the law surrounding data protection had a lot of grey areas. Now, the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is in place to remove any ambiguity about the information a company is allowed to share.
In this post, we’ll talk about what GDPR means for companies and the guidelines you need to think about.
The Seven GDPR Principles
There are seven principles to help companies understand the importance of GDPR. While these aren’t set rules, they are essential guidelines you should follow.
- Fairness, transparency and lawfulness
- Data minimisation
- Purpose limitation
- Storage limitation
- Accuracy
- Confidentiality and Integrity
- Accountability
Failure to comply with GDPR guidelines can result in fines of up to €20 million or 4% of your company’s global turnover. As you can see, the GDPR guidelines are in place to protect the rights of any individual that uses your company, and you need to take them seriously.
How to Navigate the GDPR Act of Parliament
It’s only natural to worry about the GDPR act and how it might impact your business. But, following these guidelines will give you the best chance of adhering to the rules.
Know Your Data
Learn about the types of data your business holds. For example, do you take people’s names and addresses? Or does your company operate mainly online? These things are essential to consider because if you hold sensitive data such as IP addresses, bank details and personal information, you need to explain to your customers how their data is used and protected.
Consider Consent
You need to check if your business has to obtain consent from customers before you can process their data. Most companies find that they only need to collect the essential data from their customers, as the rules surrounding consent can be challenging to follow.
Security
You must use encryption to protect your customers’ information. There are many other things you can do, but if you want to cover the basic GDPR guidelines, then encryption is essential. PC Mag has a list of the best encryption software in 2020, and you can see it here.
Access Rights
Individuals have the right to request access to their data. You should set up a system where people can get hold of their data because you must fulfil their request within a month.
Offer Training
You can’t expect your employees to know about GDPR, so it’s your job to train them. Remember, if they make a mistake, it affects your company. Hence, it’s essential to give them the information they need to understand the impact of breaching data regulations because it’s your company that will receive a fine.
Check Your Supply Chain
Every single person in your supply chain should be aware of GDPR. Whether it’s other agencies, contractors or suppliers, you should make sure everyone is compliant.
Employ A Specialist
If you’re worried about potential data breaches, you can employ a Data Protection Officer (DPO) to manage your teams date regulations and violations. Doing this means you’ll minimise the possibility of future penalties and could save yourself a lot of money in the future.
The Wrap Up
Now you understand GDPR; it’s time to put them into practice. Remember to be vigilant and take the time to learn the rules for yourself. Doing this means you can make sure your team has all the information they need to make choices regarding protecting the data of others.