GDPR: What you need to know and how it affects you

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on 25th May 2018.
Its impact on business owners, marketers and data controllers is substantial and if you are not GDPR Compliant, you will need to address this as soon as possible.

Failure to meet the compliance levels of data protection detailed in the GDPR can lead to very severe penalties. Current legislation could see organisations incur fines of up to €20 million or 4% of annual revenue, depending which is greater.

it's important to realise that it is your business or organisation that needs to be compliant and that includes your website - but not just your website!

The following is a basic checklist to assist with GDPR compliance:

• Have you nominated someone in your organisation who will be responsible for GDPR?
• Depending on your organisation - do you need a dedicated Data Protection Officer?
• Do you have a plan to deal with data breaches as and when they occur?
• Have you got a plan in place detailing how you will deal with data access requests?
• Have you conducted an audit of existing data practices including storage of data?
• Are your employees aware of GDPR obligations and the compliance that needs to be adhered to on an ongoing basis?
• If you have forms on your website: Do the forms have option boxes to allow website visitors to give you permission to collect their personal information? e.g. Name, Email Address, Phone Number
• Have you updated the Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy on your website to reflect GDPR compliance?
• Can website users easily unsubscribe from communications using an easy accessible unsubscribe link?

There are many other factors involved with compliance with GDPR regulations and should consult with your legal advisors for clarification.

GDPR is not something small businesses should be afraid of...it's all about protection of "Personal Data". There is a distinction between Personal Data and Business Data that needs to be retained. In essence, only retain Personal Data for the required time (normally 30 days), ensure your data and computers are kept up to date. Ensure you have strong firewall and anti virus protection to minimise the chance of a security breach. And if there is a breach ensure you follow the reporting procedures immediately.

For further information visit The Data Protection Commission (DPC) website here.