We live in a technologically centred world where all our data is stored online – from your latest online shopping spree to the holiday you just booked – everything you share, post and search remains online. Due to this, laws regarding data privacy and security are very tight and, in 2018, GDPR Legislation was enacted by the EU to “harmonise” the data privacy laws across Member States and provide greater protection of data.
GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation and in simple terms, it protects data by telling companies what they can and can’t do with information. Under the data protection principles, companies are held accountable for keeping the data they store safe and secure – ensuring that information is used fairly, lawfully and transparently. GDPR affects businesses worldwide – meaning GDPR Legislation Ireland affects your business too.
Compliance with the key principles of GDPR is a fundamental building block for data protection and thus it’s crucial that you know the steps to take to ensure you’re compliant with GDPR legislation. Failing to demonstrate how your data is secured in line with GDPR standards can have significant repercussions for your business – as significant as a £17 million fine…
Managing Your Compliance Responsibilities with GDPR Legislation Ireland
At BITS, we use technology to make the management of GDPR easier. We provide a plethora of services that support our clients to comply with GDPR’s seven principles:
1. Lawfulness, fairness and transparency
The first of GDPR’s principles ensures that your data is processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner. This requires businesses to keep clients informed with exactly what they’re doing with the data and who has access to it. Businesses can only use data within the given time frame and for the agreed purpose. One such way to regulate this is via an IT Security and Data Protection Policy.
2. Purpose limitation
This principle maintains that data is collected solely for the purpose agreed upon with no new or incompatible reason being used as a further justification. As the legislation specifies, the purpose for collecting data is “specified, explicit and legitimate”, meaning it can only be collected based on the subject about which the consent was given.
3. Data minimisation
Legalisation specifies that data collected must be “adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they are processed”. This means that the amount of personal data collected is minimal, and only relates to what’s required regarding the reasons for which they’re processed.
4. Accuracy
This ensures that all reasonable steps are carried out to ensure that your data is kept up to date and that any old or inaccurate data is rectified instantly.
5. Storage limitation
This legislation concerns the form in which data is stored. The law states that data must be “kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than necessary”. This means that data is only kept for the necessary limited period, afterwards it should be deleted.
6. Integrity and confidentiality
The penultimate principle regards the integrity and confidentiality of data. This requires businesses to handle data “in a manner appropriate security”. In other words, the appropriate technical measures are required to ensure data protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing as well as data loss, destruction or damage. Carrying out tests, such as BITS’ penetration tests, is a reliable way to ensure businesses’ IT infrastructure can withstand exploitation and that data remains secure.
7. Accountability
The final principle is about ensuring your company is compliant with GDPR ’s outlines. It’s your responsibility to ensure compliance, and failure to do this can lead to serious consequences. GDPR Legislation Ireland requires a detailed documentation proving agreement with all policies that govern the collection and procession of data is required. At BITS, we will carry out an audit of your computer network to determine the locations of where data is currently being stored. From this, we can create a report that suggests recommendations regarding how to deal with any gaps that arise. This will ensure data is secure and that you’re in line with GDPR’s regulations.
BITS and GDPR Legislation Ireland
All companies must comply with the principles of GDPR, so it’s crucial that you understand what this means for your business. To find out more about how to stay compliant with GDPR Legislation Ireland, get in touch with BITS today and book a free consultation.
