What Is GDPR And How Will It Work For You?

What is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?

As of May 2018, the members of the EU agreed to follow certain rules that allow the protection of individuals’ personal information that has been gained and now held by organisations and businesses. Before the issuing of the GDPR, misuse of customer information did not present any repercussions for the business. However now, you can be issued with a large fine for doing this today. Therefore, it is highly beneficial for any personal or sensitive information you have gained from customers to follow the GDPR. This may include making changes to how your company collects, stores and uses the personal information that has been collected, ensuring that it is safe and well-protected.

The 8 basic rights of GDPR

According to Betipy, under GDPR, businesses should ensure that these rights are maintained in the use of personal data.

The right to access: If a user requests their existing data, you must be able to provide them with a copy of this. This is to include a complete account of all information stored as well as how this information has and will be used.

The right to be forgotten: This has also been referred to as ‘data deletion’ which gives individuals the right to be able to erase their personal data from your system once it has served its original purpose. They are able to have their information deleted, no questions asked.

The right to data portability: By this, it means to allow your customers the right to their own data and be able to use this for their own purposes.

The right to be informed: The companies should be transparent with how personal data is used. It is the company’s responsibility to share truthfully with customers how their data is used.

The right to have the information corrected: Simply, if an individual provides data that is incomplete or inaccurate, they are able to amend this even after they have provided this information.

The right to restrict processing: Your customers retain the right to stop their personal data from being processed. This includes preventing it from being processed by third parties.

The right to object: Under certain circumstances, individuals can object to the use of their personal data. Whether the data may be used for research or marketing, they can reject the use of their data in these instances.

The right to be notified: If your company suffers a security breach that potentially compromises the personal data of your customers, it is in their rights that you notify them of this breach within the first 72 hours of becoming aware of this breach. They should be notified as to what has occurred and that their personal data may have been affected.

GDPR Requirements: How to be GDPR compliant.

Map your company’s data

Knowing and recording how personal data circulates around your company and understanding where personal information goes throughout the organisation can demonstrate your compliance with GDPR. It will also help identify any area of concern in relation to the protection of information and start the process of improving these.

Determine what data you need to keep

There is no need to obtain or store data that is not necessary for your company’s interests. It will merely leave your company more vulnerable to unnecessary scrutiny. While it may be a tedious job, taking the time to audit your customers’ data on a regular basis can help streamline the data stored and maintain your compliance with the GDPR.

Put security measures in place

GDPR requires businesses to have the appropriate measures and procedures in place to protect personal data. Measures such as encrypting personal data or giving an individual a pseudonym are steps towards ensuring their data is protected. This will also include the consideration for risk analysis in terms of the likelihood of a security breach and considerations as to how this risk can be lessened.

Data portability

As outlines, GDPR gives the users the right to their own data and so, your company must have measures in place to allow individuals to obtain their data at any point. They will be able to reuse this data outside of your company. By also having security methods in place to transmit such personal data will increase your compliance with the GDPR.

Privacy by Design

This requires your company to have systems in place that follow correct security protocols. You should integrate data protections throughout your business’ practices and everything your company does. If you fail to have a system that collects data correctly, you could see yourself landed with a hefty fine.

How GDPR impacts your businesses

With the new regulations and requirements set out with the GDPR, it brings an increased level of transparency to your company. It will create a greater need for you to spend time considering the optimal ways to protect data, which may include hiring an individual that focusses specifically on complying with the GDPR.

It is easy to consider only the costs that GDPR brings your business but consider the benefits in terms of the reputation of your business. By taking the time to show how, as a company, you are protecting your customers data can allow you to build more trustworthy and long relationships with your customers.

When introducing alterations to your business design and systems, it may seem tedious. However, after a period of adjustment, the changes will allow your business to show a trustworthy front and will be safe from any repercussions relating to the misuse of customer information.