Data is the lifeblood of today’s digital world. So, it’s no secret that strengthening your data security systems is more crucial than ever. In Europe, GDPR compliance is the one-stop solution to maximum data protection.
If you’ve never heard of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), don’t look further. In this guide, we’ll discuss:
- The fundamental principles of GDPR.
- Insights into data processing under GDPR.
- Guidance on conducting DPIAs.
- The importance of hiring a GDPR consultancy.
Table of Contents
What Are The Principles of GDPR?
Every regulation relies on a set of principles. GDPR must follow these principles while auditing your company’s security systems and processing personal data.
- Lawfulness: The consultant must have a good reason to process data, keeping the data subject informed about the entire process.
- Purpose Limitation: The purpose of data collection and processing should be legitimate and explicitly specified to the data subject.
- Data Minimization: The GDPR consultancy should only process the necessary data.
- Accuracy: Consultants are only allowed to process accurate and up-to-date personal data.
- Storage Limitation: Once the data is processed, the consultant shouldn’t have access to the identity of the data subjects in their storage.
- Confidentiality: The consultants cannot disclose any personal data they uncover to a third party.
- Transparency: Organizations should be transparent about their data processing steps and details to the data subjects.
Data Processing Under GDPR
GDPR clearly outlines how companies should process personal data. Not only is the responsible way to process data, but it also protects the rights of the data subjects. Two entities handle personal data under GDPR: the data controller and the data processor.
The controller decides how and why the data will be processed, while the latter processes the data following their guidelines. Both parties can also handle data if they have a lawful basis, such as:
- Consent from the data subject.
- Protection of the interests of everyone involved.
- Legal compliance.
- The need to process data for a contract.
- The need to process data in public interest.
These are just a few legitimate reasons for a GDPR consultancy to process data. Aside from having a legal basis, they must also only process the data needed. Taking any personal liberties can result in serious legal issues.
Data Subject Rights Under GDPR
The owner of the personal data, or the data subject, has a few rights over their information. Any GDPR consultancy should remember these rights while processing their data or performing an audit.
- Right to Access (Article 15): The data subject can ask how, why, and how much of their data is being processed.
- Right to Rectification (Article 16): The data subject can request the GDPR consultancy to correct any inaccurate personal data.
- Right to Erasure (Article 17): The data subject can ask the organisation to delete any of their personal data.
- Right to Restrict Processing (Article 18): The data subject can restrict the consultancy from processing their data if it’s inaccurate, unnecessary, or unlawful. In this case, they don’t need to have it erased.
- Right to Data Portability (Article 20): Data subjects can ask for their data in a concise and machine-readable format.
- Right to Object (Article 21): The data subject can ask the controller to cease processing until they can offer a legitimate legal basis.
- Right to Withdraw Consent (Article 7): Data subjects can withdraw their consent to data processing data at any time during the procedure.
Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs)
A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) recognises and gets rid of all associated risks when processing data under GDPR. Consultants must use DPIA as a tool to ensure their actions respect all data subject rights. The use of DPIAs is especially crucial in the case of:
- Large-scale data processing, such as biometric or health data.
- Cross-border data from countries with no data privacy laws.
- Systematic and extensive profiling.
- Large-scale public area monitoring.
Conclusion
GDPR is more than just a legal framework. It’s a way to ensure customers can trust European organisations to keep their data private. Now that you’ve learned all about it, you can hire a GDPR consultancy to help you comply.
