Ways to prevent costly data breaches is now more important than ever since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) took effect.
You should already have been concerned about the privacy and freedom of your customers, how susceptible you are to regulatory actions, along with your capabilities of protecting your reputation should security incidents arise. Yet all these aspects have now heightened in significance.
The public and consumers are now more informed about their rights associated with their own personal data. Organisations have also been given more than enough warnings about threats linked to data breaches, while regulators have gone onto increase maximum penalties greatly for the organisations that fail to meet up to these legal requirements.
Regardless of whether you feel confident about the current measures you have in place, or perhaps you are still in the process of working toward GDPR compliance, it is always important to stay abreast with the latest ways in order to streamline these compliance processes. This will assist you in managing any issues more effectively along with staying informed with a threat landscape that changes rapidly.
Below are 6 tools that data protection consultants suggest will assist you in managing your own information-security processes along with achieving GDPR compliance.
1. GDPR Data Breach Support Service
Reporting on a data-breach in the 72-hour GDPR notification deadline can be challenging for most organisations. With threats of breaches that continue to increase, it is probably something you will need to face into the future.
The GDPR Breach Support Service makes these tasks a bit easier. The management team made up of DPOs (data protection officers), barristers, lawyers, and cyber and information security experts from our Sister Company, known as GRCI Law, is here to assist you with responding to any security incident efficiently as well as in-line with Regulation requirements.
2. Data Flow Mapping Tool
This is a Cloud-based tool that allows for a way to obtain full visibility when it comes to personal data within your organisation, which assists with streamlining processes along with mitigating risks linked to data that is erroneously exposed within locations that are not secure.
This tool allows you to create visual representations that are consistent of the data flow through every aspect of your company processes without the need to turn to time-consuming techniques like vector graphics or pen-and-paper.
3. Information Security and Cyber Security Staff Awareness E-Learning Course
The e-learning courses that are interactive are both a cost and time effective method you can use to educate your employees on vital organisational issues using a highly structured manner. The Information Security and Cyber Security Staff Awareness E-Learning Course educates staff about the basics linked to data security, cyber security and information security risks along with ways in which to handle threats.
The content of this course is not technical, as it was designed for any type of employee that work with processing information, and not only the information security professionals.
4. Penetration Testing
Penetration testing is described as a type of hacking which is controlled, whereby an expert tester that works on the behalf of organisation will attempt to identify vulnerabilities in similar ways that criminal hackers do.
It is vital to root out issues before an application or a network is ready for use, or when any substantial changes have been made.
5. DPO as a Service (GDPR)
When the GDPR requires that your organisation must appoint a DPO (data protection officer), or even when they haven’t, having your own expert to handle data protection usually minimises many headaches associated with regulatory compliance.
The DPOs specialise in various tasks which include:
- Overseeing establishment and then maintenance of a personal-data processing-register
- Revising and reviewing documentation and policies
- Offering guidance and advice on reporting, management, and data-breach monitoring
- Advising when there is a need for DPIAs (data protection impact assessments) along with
- Serving as the point-of-contact when it comes to data-protection authorities
The only issue with this is that at this stage it is difficult to locate individuals that are suitably qualified. For this reason it is a good idea to outsource the role with DPOs as a type of service (GDPR).
An expert data protection agent can act as a remote DPO, working alongside you in order to gain an understanding about the requirements of your organisation. They will complete any necessary tasks along with offering you with informative advice when you really need it.
