GDPR compliance is a complicated task. But with the right tools, methods, and processes, you can significantly reduce the risk of incurring a fine—while giving your customers outstanding data protection. In this blog, we’ll explore how effective communication, data protection, and regular maintenance can help your business become and maintain GDPR compliance.
Let’s get started.
1) EMBED GDPR INTO YOUR CULTURE OF PRIVACY
If you’re going to keep up with GDPR’s wide-ranging data protection regulations, you’re going to need some help. That’s why it’s vital that your colleagues understand GDPR and how it affects their everyday roles. With that in mind, consider sending GDPR compliance update emails on a regular basis and congratulating different departments for any progress they’ve made.
At the same time, you can emphasize the fact that processes that aid GDPR compliance often makes the business more efficient, too. For example, TechRepublic reports that “84% of consumers will take their business elsewhere if they don’t trust how a company is handling their data, and 85% said they wished there were more companies they could trust with their data.” Educating your teams through relevant examples from today drives the impact compliance has on everyone involved.
Once everyone understands that GDPR compliance benefits them, you’ll start seeing more and more engagement—making your job far more manageable.
2) BRING YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM UP TO SPEED
It’s vital to get business-wide buy-in to GDPR compliance. But, as with most projects, it’s the mentality of your leadership team that will dictate whether your project is successful or not. And this is particularly important when it comes to GDPR. After all, 81% of respondents to a recent Ncontracts survey said that their board doesn’t understand the complexities and implications of compliance.
This means that any permanent shift to GDPR compliance should begin with a meeting with the c-suite, where you can explain to them the benefits of staying compliant, and detail the support you’ll need to receive in order to be successful. With the leadership on board, you’ll have the leverage you need to create lasting change in your organization.
3) TAKE ACTION
Now you have the right people onside, it’s time to get started. Your first steps should include auditing all personal data, updating your privacy notice, reviewing how you seek, obtain and record consent, and identifying and documenting your legal basis for processing personal data.
You’ll also need to be prepared to respond to requests from individuals about the information you have on them. While this is far from a complete list of what it takes to be GDPR compliant, it’s a starting point—and it will give you the momentum you need to make further progress down the line.
4) DEPLOY THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY
GDPR isn’t a one-time, set-and-forget compliance issue—it’s an ever-evolving entity. And so are our data protection solutions. That means you’re not left exposed by constant, subtle changes in regulatory compliance requirements. Instead, you have a platform that constantly adapts and adjusts to GDPR, and keeps you on the right side of the regulations.
With Protegrity, you can implement enterprise-wide protection that meets compliance expectations without compromising business processes. We’re the partners that data-driven organizations need to survive and thrive under GDPR.
To find out more, visit our solutions page now, or get in touch today to find out how we can meet your specific needs.