GDPR: Stronger data security regulations in the EU from May 25

What is GDPR?

GDPR is the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union, coming into force on 25 May 2018. It is relevant for everyone who handles data of clients and business partners. You have to make sure that the data you handle are protected, cannot unintentionally land with third parties, and data subjects should give consent to data handling and can opt out from your database.

Detailed information is available at the GDPR portal of the EU.

What to do?

Consider this top priority. If any of your clients or partners have recently commented on how you handle their data, you should take the issue seriously. This is how you can remain compliant and avoid severe fines.

You must make sure that your company is compliant with the new regulations. At Helpers Hungary, we are currently reviewing and updating all our policies to make sure all our client and partner data is protected in a way that is also GDPR compliant. Read on the see the first steps of preparing for that.

1. Conduct a GDPR audit

• What kind of data clients / partners share with us
• How we are letting know clients / partners how we use their data
• How and where client / partner data is stored
• How clients / partners can review or update their data, or how they can opt out from out database
• Who has access to which data

This is something you can do yourself. Just make sure to make a detailed list, and include all access points where you receive / handle data from your clients and partners.

2. Contact a GDPR specialist lawyer

A GDPR specialist lawyer can help evaluate all the risks of handling data. GDPR is quite extensive, and you should sure the most important aspects are considered first, while other aspects are also tackled. If you want us to, we can refer you to our own lawyer, who is a specialist and does their best to help us ensure compliancy.

3. Prepare an action plan

Based on the GDPR audit and the risk analysis, you should also put together an action plan that will help you decide how to proceed and implement the changes required. It will also help you group similar tasks and complete them in a more cost-effective manner.

Why is GDPR important anyway?

GDPR has been created to protect the rights and security of all the people you work with, whether they are clients or partners. Taking care of data security promotes trust between business partners and this way it contributes to economic growth. All in all, looking after each other’s security adds to creating a safer, better tomorrow.