4 Ways to Fail GDPR Compliance
The General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR) begins enforcement on May 25, 2018. Not being prepared or complying with these new rigorous standards could cause your organization to pay out an incredible amount in fines. While the regulation is extensive, there are a number of ways that you could initially fail to meet GDPR compliance standards. We look at the top four:
1. DON’T Assess the Situation
No one wants to spend an exorbitant amount of time auditing their IT infrastructure, trying to determine the type of data being managed, the volume or complexity of workflows, data flows and locations. However, it’s important to assess the current environment to determine any potential compliance vulnerabilities.
What should you do instead?
DO assess your data infrastructure and GDPR compliance readiness
your data and IT infrastructure plays a critical role in planning your strategy to facilitate GDPR compliance. To develop GDPR compliant methods of data management, you must know what type of data you’re managing, its location, and how the data is being used, in order to develop GDPR compliant methods of data management. Classifying and identifying your data will help you determine and establish the process necessary to control and secure sensitive data.
2. DON’T Create a Process
Ignoring the need for a process is a big step toward failing a compliance audit. The lack of established processes can almost guarantee that IT spends extra time chasing down failed file transfers or untracked, unmonitored, unsecured data. If you have a fully staffed IT department, they will spend a lot of time chasing down disparate data sources and applications.
Ignoring the need for a security plan is a surefire way to fall under the GDPR hammer. There is more to this compliance than some antivirus software and a dose of common sense.
What should you do instead?
DO develop a robust security plan
You have to develop and document a security plan to better protect your IT infrastructure and data—while fully complying with GDPR.
Under the GDPR, security breach notification is required in the event that data security was compromised. Without these notifications, you could face serious fines. GDPR requires that, within 72 hours, the data controller must notify the supervising authority and the data subject. Your updated security plan must also include your plan of response to a security breach, a notification list, the information required, and how the report information can be accessed.
DO create a clear process to meet and exceed GDPR compliance regulations
If you want to a more efficient use of time then create a process to help you meet and maintain GDPR compliance. Facilitating any type of compliance is a collaborative and time –consuming effort. Establishing a clear process will ensure compliance is met and time is saved.
Managing data within the compliance mandates of GDPR will require that you set up a process that can be backed up with reporting data. If you are not using a data management solution, then it’s time to find one. Additionally, delegating a data protection officer to help enforce the established data management processes will maintain accountability. Consider a data management solution, end-point security or data loss prevention tools to support the secure management of data.
3. DON’T Develop a Security Plan
Ignoring the need for a security plan is a surefire way to fall under the GDPR hammer. There is more to this compliance than some antivirus software and a dose of common sense.
What should you do instead?
DO develop a robust security plan
You have to develop and document a security plan to better protect your IT infrastructure and data—while fully complying with GDPR.
Under the GDPR, security breach notification is required in the event that data security was compromised. Without these notifications, you could face serious fines. GDPR requires that, within 72 hours, the data controller must notify the supervising authority and the data subject. Your updated security plan must also include your plan of response to a security breach, a notification list, the information required, and how the report information can be accessed.
4. DON’T Establish a Data Management Strategy
Without an active data strategy, you’re sure to fail at GDPR compliance when it goes into effect in 2018. Data strategies work to streamline and safeguard your business processes and workflows. If you do not have one, it will be a lot more challenging for your business to manage multiple data access points, including disparate applications and data sources.
What should you do instead?
DO develop an overarching data management strategy
Proper management of your data can prove to be an extremely complex endeavor to take on without the right strategy and tools. The powerful technology behind a managed file transfer (MFT) solution provides a symbiotic relationship among an organization, the sensitive data it manages, and compliance regulations like GDPR. A MFT solution can simplify and enhance your data management strategy, making your compliance, security, and efficiency goals achievable and more effective.
To Comply or Not to Comply, that is the Question
If you want to comply with GDPR before the May 25, 2018 deadline—now is the time to start preparing and arming yourself with a strategy and solution that not only simplifies the complex process of meeting and maintaining GDPR compliance, but propels you to agile levels of IT infrastructure efficiency and security.
Simplify your GDPR compliance journey with Enhanced File Transfer™ (EFT™) with its enterprise-level security and built-in controls that support regulatory compliance, governance, and visibility. EFT’s user-friendly platform provides centralized administration that puts you in complete control over your IT infrastructure and data.
If you want to get your organization GDPR compliance-ready, download our free eBook, EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Compliance – Are You Prepared?
Compliance Resources
EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Compliance – Are You Prepared?
If your organization processes data that pertains to residents of the European Union (EU), then May 25, 2018 is an important date for you to remember because it is the designated day when the EU plans to enforce the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The new regulation applies to a large number of organizations or companies that operate globally.
If you’re not ready for the up and coming GDPR deadline, download our latest eBook today, “EU General Data Protection Regulation – Are You Prepared?”
In our eBook, you can learn the following:
- What GDPR is and how it applies to your organization
- The data privacy landscape and situations that increase your risk
- 4 steps to maintain GDPR compliance
- How to apply data management to your GDPR plan of action