Guideways to Be GDPR Compliant

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is one of the most significant changes in data privacy laws in the world. It aims to protect the rights of EU citizens' personal data and ensure that companies comply with the regulations. For small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), being GDPR compliant can be tough and make them prone to big fines, penalties, and loss of customer trust. However, it doesn't have to be so difficult as there are simple ways to ensure compliance. In this post, we'll take a deep dive into some simple guidelines that will help SME owners become GDPR compliant effortlessly.

Conduct an audit of your data

Before you begin making any changes, you need to understand what data your business collects, how it's processed, and where it's stored. Create a list of all data processing activities and ask yourself if the data is necessary and lawful. If it's neither, eliminate it. Ensure you review the data access points and who has access to the data to identify and correct any breaches.

Establish a Privacy Policy

To ensure GDPR compliance, you need to create a clear and straightforward privacy policy that outlines what data is being collected, how it's being used and protected, and how it's accessed and processed. It should also cover aspects such as consent procedures, opt-in/opt-out options, and how to file a complaint if the customer feels that his/her data is being mishandled.

Obtain Consent

Under the GDPR, opting into data collection and processing is the norm. Consent is necessary, and you need to provide a clear procurement mechanism. This means that you need to ensure that your customers have the option to opt-in or opt-out of any data collection activities. The good news is that you don't necessarily have to gain consent for every new processing activity; you only need consent once. By using an updated privacy policy and appending new processing activities that customers can opt out of, you should comply.

Train Your Staff

Your employees may be the weakest link in your company's data protection. Ensure you provide a training program to all your staff about GDPR compliance, how it affects their job roles, and how they can contribute to keeping the company compliant. It's crucial to have a continuous update program, as the Data Protection Act evolves to stay ahead of any changes to rules.

Work with Trusted Digital Services Companies

Finally, it is worth noting that working with trusted, reliable, and GDPR-complaint digital services providers can help simplify the compliance process for SME owners. You can outsource data processing and storage to GDPR-accredited professional service providers such as Cloud platforms with GDPR ready to offer you advice on how your business can comply with the GDPR and update you with best practices.

Conclusion

Becoming GDPR compliant doesn't have to be an overwhelming process that causes you to take time and effort away from working on your core business function. By adhering to the five guidelines, auditing your data, crafting a clear and detailed privacy policy, obtaining consent, training your employees and working with professional service providers you can save your business time, money and liability. By embracing these straightforward steps, you'll ensure that your business complies with the GDPR adequately.