Let’s Talk GDPR

Why Data Protection is No Joke

OK, this topic might seem a bit dull, most people give a huge huff and puff by the mere mention of GDPR, but, it’s actually massively important, and something we all need to know about – GDPR Compliance.

Wow, that eye role was pretty loud! But hear me out… 

I’ll keep it as light as possible, but GDPR is something I take extremely seriously as a Virtual Assistant, and I do my best to help my clients improve their compliance so we can protect your data.

In this blog post, I dig down into GDPR compliance, including what GDPR is, what it means to be GDPR compliant, why you should care, and a few tips on how to become GDPR compliant.

What Does It Mean To be GDPR Compliant?

To be GDPR compliant means that an organisation, whether it’s a business, a government or a not-for-profit organisation, follows the rules set out in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

If you’d like to read the entire GDPR document, feel free to follow this link, but, if you like to save a lot of time and effort, GDPR regulation basically insists that:

• You’re protecting people’s personal information
• You’re being transparent about how you collect and use data
• You’re getting permission from individuals before using their data
• You’re keeping data safe and respecting people’s privacy right

Why should you care?

Good question – why should you care about GDPR and being GDPR compliant?

Well, for starters, it’s not just about avoiding fines (although that is definitely a good reason to care about it), it’s also about respecting people’s privacy, and building trust with your customers.

Think of GDPR as the ‘golden rule’ of the internet – treat others’ data the way you’d want yours to be treated.

Tips For GDPR Compliance

Becoming GDPR compliant isn’t entirely straightforward, but with the right strategies in place, you can make it easier to achieve.

Below, I’ve given you 4 tips to help keep things simple, but, if you’d like some more help, get in touch, and I’ll be happy to assist.

1. Know Your Data

When it comes to your data and customers data, take time to understand what personal data you’re collecting, why you’re collecting it, and how you’re using it.

2. Get Consent

If you’re collecting personal data, such as email addresses or phone numbers etc., make sure you have explicit consent to do so from the individual. No ‘sneaky’ business here – be transparent about everything, including what you’re collecting and why.

3. Use Technology

A good way to stay GDPR compliant is to use GDPR Compliance Software. There are various types around, each of which will have a suite of tools designed to simplify the process. 

Tools may include:

Audit Tools: These help with internal audits to identify risks, assess processing practices, and ensure alignment.

Data Mapping Tools: These tools help create data inventories, so you know what data you hold and where to find it.

Security Software: Most GDPR compliance software will have security tools built in to protect your data from various threats.

Data Minimisation Tools: This type of tool helps you reduce the amount of data you hold by removing unnecessary data.

4. Keep Data Secure

Protecting personal data isn’t just a good idea – it’s the law. So, make sure to implement really good security measures to keep the data safe from hackers, breaches, and other threats.

5. Be Prepared For Disaster

Make sure to have a workable disaster recovery plan in place for dealing with data breaches and other potential data loss incidents.

A good disaster recovery plan should include these steps:

Creating a layered security plan: This is where you put preventative security measures in place to help avoid data loss ever happening. Measures could include access controls, encryption, and regular security audits.

Identifying The Biggest Threats to Your Data: This step is about keeping up-to-date with recent cyber threats, considering intentional and unintentional threats or disasters, and working out the risks associated.

Identifying Your ‘Mission Critical’ Data: Your mission-critical data is data that your business simply cannot function without, and once it’s identified, it’s about prioritising its protection and recovery in the event of corruption or loss.

Deciding on Your Recovery Objectives and Goals: In this step, make sure you know how you’re going to recover lost data, how much time it may take, and what amount of downtime is acceptable for the data restoring process.

Drafting, Testing, and Updating: Once you’ve created a detailed disaster recovery plan, make sure to regularly test the plan for its effectiveness, and update it as your business or organisation grows and evolves.