We were delighted to welcome Hellen Beveridge from Data Oversight last week, who gave a seminar on the practical implementation of GDPR to a packed room in our Maidenhead office.
GDPR will ensure greater consistency across the European Union by being a Regulation rather than a Directive. In the UK, the Data Protection Bill announced in the Queen's speech is aimed to ensure the UK is GDPR compliant.
Hellen stressed that many aspects of GDPR were about integrity, transparency and good data practice and presents an opportunity for businesses to review their systems and processes.
Key is looking at the life cycle of the data: how and why do you capture data, what will happen to it and when will it be deleted. A good approach is to undertake a top down review, by department, looking at what tools are used to capture and store data, how much data is collected and when should the data be deleted. Many organisations have large databases with contacts that have been inactive for many years, that cost significant sums to maintain.
Your physical data should not be forgotten - what happens to your old files, how long do you really need to keep them and when should they be destroyed.
Knowing where your weakest links are is important. Your employees can often be the cause of data breaches. They might leave a computer on when leaving the room, lose their telephone on a train or simply not understand the implications of sending sensitive personal information in an insecure spreadsheet via email. Training and good processes are key to good practice.
Hellen concluded that much of implementing GDPR and remaining compliant are consistent with good practices for business continuity and developing and maintaining trust with your customers and other stakeholders.
Download the GDPR presentation
DISCLAIMER: This information is for guidance only, and professional advice should be obtained before acting on any information contained herein. We will not accept any responsibility for loss to any person as a result of action taken or refrained from in consequence of the contents of this publication.
