GDPR … an acronym that’s currently giving organizations across the globe sleepless nights!
It’s such a big deal that we’re sure you’ve recently been the target of sudden marketing campaigns that promise to save you from this nightmare.
Well, truth be told, GDPR is just another compliance matter and most organizations will come to terms with it. This includes your organization too. But, if you’re still having a hard time figuring out what GDPR really is, you’ve come to the right place.
In this blog, we are going to explore GDPR and find out how to comply with it.
An introduction to GDPR
GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation. It’s a regulation (No. 2016/679) that was
passed in 2016 by the EU Council and the European Parliament. It mainly has to do with the protection of client/customer data with respect to how it is processed and moved. It is a replacement to Directive No. 95/46/EC, also known as the General Regulation on Protection of
Now, what makes GDPR a big deal is that it is not just some recommendation that can be adopted on a voluntary basis. It is a legally binding regulation and therefore, must be obeyed by all concerned parties. The GDPR will force individual member states of the EU to amend their own laws regarding data protection, ensuring that everyone follows the same standards.
The regulation is mainly aimed at protecting consumers. So, the law has everything to do with data erasure, rectification, the right of access, the right to be forgotten, data portability, the right to limit processing, and the right to object. To put it simply, GDPR will give citizens of the EU far greater control over how their data is used by companies.
Typically, GDPR is aimed at organizations and services that process vast amounts of data. However, it is also applicable to any organization or business that collects and stores data for commercial purposes. This includes small businesses and even individuals.
Personal data storage and data use have always been an issue. We’ve seen how careless some companies can be when it comes to handling such personal data. GDPR simply aims to prevent such problems in the future. With GDPR and the laws that enforce it, people in the EU will receive more rights and protect their data effectively.
The regulation is quite vast and complex. We really can’t go into details right now because we’d have to write pages and pages. All there is to know as of now is that GDPR is here to protect consumers from data-theft. It covers everything from IP addresses and biometric data to email addresses and digital signatures.
GDPR compliance must be achieved in an informed, scaled manner, with inputs being made in
accordance with the complexity of the requirements.
Here are a few ways in which you can go about it.
• Conduct reviews of your policies. Talk to the stakeholders to know where the organization stands on data privacy regulations.
• Determine where the data is stored, how it’s utilized, and how policies are applied to the data. Also, determine the kind of data that is collected.
• Hire forensic experts to conduct analyses and identify areas that are likely to face issues, such as security protection and PII.
• Once you know everything there is to know about the data, verify security and technical controls.
Make sure the data maps are incorporated with intrusion protection systems.
• Develop a compliance plan that covers internal workflows, IT environments, third-party agreements, security controls, and altering data storage locations.
• Establish a proper audit and review program in order to ensure that compliance is achieved continuously.
Meta-description: A look at GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and the need for compliance.