How to deal with a subject access request from a third party
August 30, 2018
Can I make international transfers of personal data under GDPR?
October 4, 2018
GDPR – persevere, your business will be the better for it
For those who have started their journey towards compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it has often been a tumultuous ride. Patience, time and perseverance have been required in large doses but few who have undertaken the journey would disagree that their business is in better shape as a result.
Not just a tick box
Over the summer, we have been interviewing clients to learn more about their compliance journey and what issues they have faced. We plan to use this to help us further improve Astrid. One of the comments that we have heard is about the amount of work that is needed to become fully compliant. One client stated: “There was a lot of work to understand and map our data. We had no previous record or understanding of this so it took quite some time. That said, if we get a data request or lose a lap top, we will now know exactly how to deal with it and won’t need to panic."An internal management system
On discussing this through with the client, it became apparent that what they hadn’t appreciated at the time was that becoming compliant with GDPR was not simply a tick box exercise. What they had been working on was actually setting up an internal management system. By creating this internal system, the organisation was much better able to understand how the key resource ‘personal data’ was now being managed and guarded. This enabled them to protect the company, their staff and clients much better, and show their leadership in this area.
If you think about any business system, be it for health & safety or environmental management, there is an understanding that these are extensive systems that sit across all business functions. They are not only legal requirements but they protect staff, clients and others that interact with the business. GDPR compliance and data protection can be viewed in exactly the same way. It is just the implementation a system that captures, evaluates and controls data processing and ensures safe management of personal data. It is a great achievement to have it set up but like all systems, it needs continual review and updating.
So if you have been struggling with compliance - perhaps you have just take a few steps and have become stymied - recognise the task for what it is. It’s not a box to be ticked but a system that you are setting up to protect your business for the future.
Obtain the help you need to protect your business. Subscribe to Astrid today.
If you think about any business system, be it for health & safety or environmental management, there is an understanding that these are extensive systems that sit across all business functions. They are not only legal requirements but they protect staff, clients and others that interact with the business. GDPR compliance and data protection can be viewed in exactly the same way. It is just the implementation a system that captures, evaluates and controls data processing and ensures safe management of personal data. It is a great achievement to have it set up but like all systems, it needs continual review and updating.
Maintaining GDPR compliance
That is part of the power of Astrid. Yes we break down every step into easy to understand sections and we provide you with the templates and tools needed. But more importantly, Astrid helps you set up a full management system to not only achieve GDPR compliance but to maintain it. Once documents have been uploaded, you will receive notification of what needs reviewing and when. This will help you keep on top of your compliance and any new considerations that are needed. Resources, training and advice are continually being refreshed to reflect the new legislation and how it is being implemented.So if you have been struggling with compliance - perhaps you have just take a few steps and have become stymied - recognise the task for what it is. It’s not a box to be ticked but a system that you are setting up to protect your business for the future.
Obtain the help you need to protect your business. Subscribe to Astrid today.
