Data protection is fundamental to safeguarding critical information. Here we look at the data that needs protecting, how to fulfil your GDPR obligations and the available help.
What data needs to be protected, and how is it protected?
Almost any data relating to a person, business, or organisation needs protecting. The data may relate to your staff, customers, suppliers, stakeholders, partners, or any member of the public. The data might be names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, credit and debit card details, or medical/health information.
This data can be subject to misuse by a third party for fraud, identity theft, or phishing scams. The Data Protection Act lays out the principles your business must adhere to to keep data safe, secure, accurate, and lawful.
The data you collect must:
- Not be stored for longer than necessary
- Only be used in specific ways
- Used within the confines of the law
- Stored following the person’s data protection rights
- Accurate
Failure to adhere to the Data Protection Act can result in prosecution, fines, and individuals seeking compensation.
Top 5 GDPR concerns
Any business that operates in the European Union or deals with a company within the EU must protect the personal data of EU citizens in accordance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
The top five GDPR concerns for your business include:
- Meeting the requirements – GDPR has a clear focus on transparency and accountability, putting many new responsibilities on your business such as security adoption, testing, maintenance
- Adopting new processes – Your company must appoint a Data Protection Officer, notify the regulator of data breaches within 72 hours, and record your data protection activities
- Hefty fines and sanctions – Regulators may penalise your business for non-compliance by banning you from processing personal data and issuing fines up to 20 million Euro or four percent of your worldwide turnover
- Inadequate definitions – Many terms within GDPR are purposefully vague
- Geographical reach – GDPR protects all EU citizens regardless of whether they live in the EU or not
Why do data collection companies need cybersecurity
Data collection companies, such as ecodesk, built an eco desk horizon (cloud platform) to collect source data. Holding large amounts of data, they are responsible for ensuring all data collected is compliant with GDPR. Cybersecurity needs to be at the highest level for these businesses, and frequent penetration testing is essential.
How should businesses respond to GDPR?
To ensure your GDPR compliance, you should:
- Carrying out audits of current data usage practices and policies
- Continuously collate documents that provide evidence that you are complying with GDPR rules
These two objectives can be achieved using the OmniCyber GDPR Virtual Assist tool.
Companies that help protect data protection
At OmniCyber, we provide Penetration Testing services and Cyber Essentials for businesses to help protect data and GDPR services to assist with compliance.
