Ten Best Essential Steps for GDPR Compliance

1. Conducting a data audit

Conducting a comprehensive data audit is the first step towards GDPR compliance. You must assess the personal data you collect, process, store, and share. This includes names, email addresses, physical addresses, IP addresses, and credit card details. You must also determine the legal basis for processing the data and the duration of data retention. Once you have conducted a data audit, you can identify areas to enhance data protection measures.

2. Implement data protection by design and default

GDPR requires organizations to implement “data protection by design and default.” Businesses must design data protection measures into their systems and processes from the outset. This includes pseudonymization and encryption of personal data, as well as implementing data minimization and purpose limitation measures. Additionally, leveraging technologies such as data diodes can ensure unidirectional data flow, enhancing security by physically preventing reverse data transfer. The aim is to ensure that personal data is processed securely and that only necessary information is collected and retained.

3. Appointing a data protection officer

Suppose your organization is large or processes sensitive data. In that case, you must appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) to oversee GDPR compliance. The DPO must be an expert in data protection law and have adequate resources to perform their duties. The DPO is responsible for monitoring the organization’s GDPR compliance, providing advice on data protection measures, and acting as a point of contact between the organization and supervisory authorities.

4. Obtaining consent

Under GDPR, you must obtain explicit and informed consent from individuals before processing their data. This means you must clearly explain the purpose and legal basis for processing the data and get support given by consent-specific, informed, and unambiguous consent. You must also give individuals the right to withdraw their consent.

5. Stay Up-to-Date with Regulatory Changes

Staying up-to-date with regulatory changes is a crucial step towards maintaining GDPR compliance. As a business that handles personal data, you must keep track of any changes to GDPR and other data protection regulations that may affect your organization. This includes monitoring updates from supervisory authorities and industry organizations.

To remain compliant, you must regularly review and update your data protection policies and procedures. This includes reviewing your data protection impact assessments and data processing agreements. You must also train your staff on regulatory changes by taking appropriate GDPR training and updating your data protection training programs. By staying up-to-date with regulatory changes, you can avoid penalties and reputational damage from non-compliance.

6. Implement Technical and Organizational Measures

You must implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure data protection. This includes implementing access controls, firewalls, encryption, and regular backups. You, as an employer, must train your employees on how to handle personal data and educate them on the best data protection techniques and practices. 

7. Monitoring third-party processors

GDPR also applies to third-party processors who handle personal data on your behalf. As such, you must ensure that third-party processors comply with GDPR and have the necessary processes to protect personal data. You must also ensure that you have appropriate contractual arrangements in place with third-party processors to ensure that they comply with GDPR.

8. Reporting data breaches

Suppose personal data is lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised. In that case, you must report the breach to the relevant supervisory authorities within 72 hours. You must also notify affected individuals if the violation will likely result in a high risk to their rights and freedoms. You must have appropriate incident response procedures in place to enable timely reporting.

9. Conduct Regular Compliance Assessments

GDPR compliance is an ongoing process, and organizations must conduct regular compliance assessments to ensure they remain compliant with the regulation. You must review your data protection policies and procedures periodically and assess whether they are up-to-date with the latest regulatory changes. Regular assessments also help identify gaps in your compliance efforts and enable you to take corrective measures.

10. Provide Data Subject Rights

GDPR grants individuals a set of rights over their data. These rights include access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and objecting to processing. You must ensure that individuals can exercise these rights easily and that you have the necessary processes in place to respond to requests within the stipulated timelines.