The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was established to provide rules for companies to adhere to when managing and storing personal data. GDPR states the responsibility of firms to protect and ensure the privacy of individuals they retain data on, while giving rights to these individuals and assigning powers to regulators. These powers include the ability to demand accountability and being able to deal out fines when companies fail to comply with the regulations. Below are some key features of GDPR, which all enterprises should be aware of:

1. Transparent and legal processing

Firms must state clearly how personal data will be used and only process it for legitimate reasons, assuming responsibility for it while it’s retained.

2. Limiting data processed and stored

Enterprises are expected to only collect and store the required data and to not hold onto it for any longer than necessary. To assist with this, companies should always request the minimum amount of data possible from individuals and delete information when it is not required.

3. Rights of data subjects

Data subjects have the right to request companies inform them of any data they are holding on them and how it is being used. If there are errors in data retained, the person can ask for this to be updated. They can also ask for personal data to be deleted or transferred.

4. Consent

If companies need to use data for reasons other than those originally stated, they must first obtain consent from subjects.

5. Data breaches

Companies must establish and maintain a register of personal data breaches. Depending on the severity of a breach, the UK data regulator and the subjects impacted must be contacted inside of 72 hours.

6. Design for privacy

Firms should incorporate technical and organisational methods to ensure personal data is kept private and secure by default.

7. Secure data transfer

If the company is the data controller, it is accountable for the data remaining secure, even when it must be processed by third party enterprises.

8. Appointing data protection officers

When significant quantities of personal data must be processed, companies are advised to assign a dedicated data protection officer.

9. Employee awareness and education

It is the responsibility of every enterprise to educate its employees and ensure they are aware of the crucial requirements of GDPR. Businesses must carry out scheduled training sessions, making certain staff members are fully aware of their role in company compliance regarding protecting personal data. Employees should also be well-informed on the correct procedure to take following a data breach, with a clear line of reporting in place.

Designed to help companies keep compliant, our secure platform from Galaxkey features comprehensive encryption to safeguard personal information. Whether you are storing Personally Identifiable Information (PII) on your company servers, sharing it within your network in files or emailing it as an attachment, our secure system will keep it free from prying eyes with powerful three-layer encryption. Get in touch today for a free 14-day trial to ensure you stay working within the requirements of GDPR.