The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the toughest privacy and security law in the world. Though it was written and passed by the European Union, it imposes obligations to organisations anywhere, so long as they target or collect data related to individuals in the EU.
The General Data Protection Regulation sets a new standard for the consumer rights regarding their data, but companies will be challenged as they put processes and systems in place to maintain compliance. Data collector organisations are required to explain why the information is being stored and how the organization will use it. They are obliged to inform the data subjects of how the data is processed, how long the company will keep them, and who it will be shared with.
Here are 5 action items to ensure continuous compliance:
1. Keep your organization’s documentation updated
You need to ensure that documentation is updated to reflect changes to data processing activities. Put the practices in place to update systems when the new information is added. Review and update your company’s documentation regularly.
2. Train your staff regularly
It’s very important that each member of your organization understands how their role is impacted by a regulation and as well, how they can contribute towards complying with it. This applies to financial, safety and health regulation and it actually applies in data protection regulation, including the GDPR.
It is imperative that your staff members understand how data processing could compose risk to an individual. The members of your organisation must be equipped with the required tools and knowledge to minimize the chances of a breach, and to respond to a breach if it occurs.
The benefits of the staff training in data compliance includes the following:
- Your customers will trust you more.
- Your products will be better.
- The employees will be much more motivated to get involved.
- Enhancing the reputation of the company.
3. Manage the risks actively
In order to provide continuous compliance with the GDPR, one of the actions is to actively manage the risk registers with regular risk assessments. Review workflows, systems, and vendor relationships to identify risks in process activities and to document mitigations/remediation. Perform information protection impact assessments for changes that could represent a high risk to individuals.
4. Manage the vendors
Ensure that your vendor implements the proper organizational and technical safeguards around the data processing activities.
5. Monitor and maintain your organization’s GDPR program
Another action is to work with your company’s compliance department or an external service provider to implement a compliance monitoring program. Information security management systems (ISMS) such as DoSec, that comply with EU General Data Protection Regulation and includes all the GDPR requirements, can provide you with all of the above – the constantly updated program, which means that you will be able to monitor existing and updated data protection regulations or new guidance.