25th May 2018 – there is a lot to celebrate today!
May 25, 2018
The direct hazards of non-compliance with GDPR
June 21, 2018
Dealing with the GDPR hangover - what next after 25th May 2018?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on 25th May 2018. The biggest shake up of data protection laws since the 1990s has seen individuals gain greater control over their personal data and businesses made more accountable for their data processing activities.
After all the build-up, 25th May 2018 came and went last week. Maybe you didn’t quite manage to complete all the steps you planned to become GDPR compliant. Maybe for whatever reason, you didn’t get round to starting your preparations. What happens now?
Don’t panic
In the run up to GDPR coming into force, the ICO sought to reassure small businesses that it wasn’t going to be on the warpath come 25th May. Indeed on 25th May, the Information Commissioner herself, Elizabeth Denham, told small businesses not to panic and said that this was a start not a finish.Astrid’s founder and GDPR practitioner Gerrard Fisher says: “The ICO would have loved all small businesses to have been compliant with GDPR by 25th May. But they are being practical about this and, understanding the challenges that small businesses face, want to see a commitment to being compliant as soon as possible. For any small business that hasn’t started yet, the key is to get going on that journey now”.
Get up to speed
So for months you have been meaning to get to grips with GPRD, GPDR or whatever it’s called but you never found the time. It’s not too late! There’s a wealth of information out there specifically targeted at small businesses.Start by checking out these blogs and get up to speed on what GDPR is and what it means for your business:
Make progress
Whether you are starting from scratch or have implemented a number of measures, the key is to keep progressing, step by step. If you are not sure where to start, read our blog ‘Where do I start with GDPR?’ and subscribe to the Astrid secure online platform. We provide tools and guidance and a step-by-step process to help you improve your data protection and become GDPR compliant.Don’t be complacent
Despite the numerous comparisons in the run up to 25th May, GDPR is not Y2K. It’s not going to go away. In fact, within hours of GDPR coming into force, complaints had been made against Facebook, Google, Instagram and WhatsApp for contravening the new data protection laws. Whilst this is a world away from small business, it only takes one complaint or one breach for the ICO to want to see proof of your compliance.Small businesses are seemingly being given a little leeway by the ICO but that only goes so far. Your clients need reassurance that you are protecting their personal data and complying with the law. The message is - don’t panic but don’t be complacent either.
