Data has become the new currency in the modern age; the biggest companies in the world, including Amazon, Google, and Facebook, are heavily reliant on user data. This on its own is not a bad thing; by analysing user data, it has become easier to curate customized content and target products through marketing to a specific demographic group and region.
However, user data has also brought a new wave of challenges; words like data breaches and data leaks are becoming more common as authorities seek ways to exercise more regulation. This is where The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) audit comes into play. GDPR on its own will not protect user data unless those who collect this data protect it to the best of their ability.
Getting to the basics of GDPR compliance for your business demands two fundamentals. Understanding your responsibilities as dictated by the GDPR and in-depth scrutiny of your business and your supply chain and how you meet these responsibilities. Some of the components of the process include:
Reviewing your data possessions - This includes the scope of personal data you control, where you source this data, the handling procedures, and who has access.
What kind of data manager are you? - Data managers can be classified into controllers and processors. As a controller, a bigger scope of GDPR compliance may apply to you as compared to the processors who report directly to you. It is your role to ensure your compliance and the compliance of those who receive data on your behalf.
Legal Framework - You should ensure consent at each step of access to personal data as well as its intended use. Good GDPR compliance endeavours to handle and process data within the confines of the law and avoid ambiguity as a tool to pry on users’ information without their explicit consent.
Subject rights - The new GDPR provide a new layer of protection for data subjects. Individuals have the right to request omission and/or changes to their personal data. As a data handler, you have the responsibility to look at the inner workings of your data handling process and how your policies cater to these new needs.
The primary goal of a GDPR audit is to ensure the policies and rules governing the handling of personal data are adhered to, to prevent data breaches. Organisations that collect and process data are required to do so in a manner that protects this data and uses it for legitimate purposes.
A thorough audit should highlight the policies put in place by an organisation and their effectiveness in the correct handling of data and detecting potential threats, both internal and external. The benefits of this include.
Raising awareness of data protection - Processors of data are bound by the guidelines stipulated in the GDPR s to ensure the data they possess is safeguarded. Personal data falling into the wrong hands has the potential to create very disastrous consequences, and this should be a top priority for data managers.
Outlining managers’ commitment to data protection - The GDPR audit process should continually demonstrate the steps and procedures implemented to reassure providers and users of personal data.
Timely identification of potential threats and risks - By undertaking a GDPR audit, areas that need improvement can be highlighted. This also creates an opportunity to seek better solutions by studying industry trends on data handling,
Continuous learning and improvement - By sharing knowledge and insights with third-party service providers, a data manager can work cohesively with other experts to improve and build upon tried and tested data protection methods.
If you are collecting people’s personal data, you must consider regular GDPR audits as much as financial audits. The enforcement of these regulations in different regions like the EU and UK is reason enough to care. Otherwise, you risk hefty fines that come with any violation of these strict guidelines.
Conducting GDPR audits on your organisation and that of your partners requires several steps. The first and foremost being contractual agreements between you and your suppliers.
These agreements should provide a general framework for how the data you collect should be processed and stored. As the primary processor of data, it is up to you to provide your suppliers with the framework for the protection of the data you collect.
Using a third party to conduct assessments of both you and your suppliers provides a level of confidentiality, awareness and impartiality that an internal team could not undertake. Platinum Brand Communications undertake GDPR audits for our clients working within the framework set out by the GDPR.
We ensure our clients receive an action plan on how to rectify any issues and meet all the standards set out by the GDPR. Specialising in small to medium-sized businesses which often struggle to understand and implement GDPR safeguards.
We provide training, compliance and accountability and a concrete action plan that your business can follow through step by step. For more information on GDPR Audits, get in touch with us today to see how we can help.
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