Data Protection for Digital Businesses

Data Protection regulations applies to all regulated, compliant, or assured organisations handling or storing personal, citizen or user data.

The process for becoming compliant can often be complex, confusing, difficult to understand, and difficult to cost; especially when considering the impact to the business. Similarly, it is often difficult to understand the consequences of not being compliant and not taking appropriate actions.

We can help you to understand the critical nature of data protection and compliance for your organisation, to ensure your systems and data are secure and in compliance with all your regulatory requirements.

Data Protection typically considers protecting Personally Identifiable Information, to make sure that as personal data is gathered and stored it is used responsibly and transparently. The more we process digitally, and the more accessible information becomes, the greater the need to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the data under your management. The key principles under DPA that your governance, compliance and assurance regime needs to take account of includes:

• Lawfulness, fairness and transparency - Purpose limitation - Data minimisation - Accuracy - Storage limitation - Integrity and confidentiality - Accountability

As a Digital organisation, DPA overlaps with your need to operate "Due Diligence" in managing corporate systems and company data, as well as "Due Care" to ensure handling of information responsibly. Your Cyber Security Policies and Information Security Management Systems will have a direct relationship with your DPA processes and policies.

As an organisation you must ...

• have a valid legal basis to process personal data (Consent, Contract, Obligation, Vital Interest, Public Task , Legitimate Interest ).
• Ensure you require the processing of the data to be 'necessary' for a particular purpose. If you can reasonably achieve the same purpose without processing, you will have no legal basis.
• identify and document your legal basis before proceeding.
• Exhibit Due Care , and get it right the first time , identify your approach , and don’t change your basis for consent
• Publish a privacy statement including the purposes of the processing, and legal basis
• Update your legal basis/consent, if your purposes change,
• Consider additional conditions for processing special category data ( e.g. Ethnicity, Politics, Genetics, Health )

You may need to ensure your customers can

• understand what data organisations have about them and how it is used,
• see that information and get their own copy
• correct the information if it's wrong,
• ask for it to be removed or limit how it's used
• complain if they don't like what you are doing with their data.

Key Steps to Compliance, and Ensuring Data Protection "Due Care"

Each organisation will need to look at and consider its requirements against the environment it is working in, the data it is handling, against the business goals it is trying to achieve, The typical steps include :

• Appointed Data Protection officer to advise on data processing and protection issues
• Ensure Policies and Procedures in place for responding to Data Breach - notifying data subject and Data regulator, ( to minimise impact with regards to financial penalties and reputation damage ).
• Provide Policy and processes to respond to Subject Access Request - inside regulatory timelines.
• Publish and Adopt a Data Privacy policy, to notify individuals how their data will be used
• Communications & Training : Employee awareness should include i) Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and data handling policy ii) Age appropriate Data assurance for minors iii) Cyber Security awareness and data protection.

Our Services

We can help you navigate, access and build your Data Protection compliance, ensure you are meeting your obligations and provide confidence that you are exhibiting Due Care and Diligence in the execution of your business. Our experienced team provides a wide range of services, including.

• How Compliant is Your Business? Assess your level of compliance and Maturity.
• Data Processing Officer as a Service,
• Risk Management as a Service.
• Design and delivery your Data Protection and Information Assurance Programme.
• Policy development (e.g. Retention, Access Request etc ) to support your Organisation.
• Integrate your Data Protection needs into your Security Management System. Policy, Procedures and Guidelines around Data at Rest, Data in Transit and Data in Use.
• Risk assessment and integration of your "Due Care" Processes into your organisation.
• Establish Governance and Assurance to meet compliance and quality needs.

Our Data Protection services provide a range of solutions designed to protect sensitive information and ensure compliance with data protection laws. Our Information Assurance services help our clients achieve compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards, ensuring that their systems and data are secure and protected. Our Compliance services provide a proactive approach to managing risks by identifying regulatory requirements and addressing them before they can cause compliance issues.

Our Data Protection services comprise of the following:

1. Commit: The creation of a robust Business Case and fostering executive and stakeholder awareness, ensuring a solid foundation for compliance, risk mitigation, and commitment to data protection in a complex regulatory environment. More Info
2. Implement: Assists regulated, compliant, or assured organisations (National, International, or federal/government) in achieving risk reduction, resilience, and Data Protection maturity. Services include Starter Pack, Mobilisation Plan, Asset Discovery, Corporate Training & Awareness, Change Management, and Technical Architecture as a Service. Key outputs encompass Policies, Consent Review, Data Protection Officer selection and training, Technical Measures, and crucial process design for Access Requests, Breach Management, Reporting, and Incident Handling & Response. More Info
3. Assure: Offering tailored services like Self-Assessment, Technical Review, and Risk Management Framework implementation for regulated, compliant, or assured organisations. Strengthen your organisation's data protection maturity, reduce risk, and enhance resilience in national, international, or federal/government settings. More Info
4. Maintain: Provide comprehensive operational and maintenance support to ensure ongoing compliance and resilience. Key service lines include DP Advisory/Critical Friend, Breach Response, Event Management, Data Protection Officer as a Service, Supplier Assurance, Risk Management Process Delivery, and Cyber Security Management. As the fourth stage of our Data Protection process, these services are tailored to help regulated, compliant organisations sustain their risk management, compliance, and resilience, fulfilling their Data Protection obligations effectively. More Info

Each service can be tailored to meet your appetite and budget, and is focused on ensuring you control the scope, pace and level of support you need to complete each phase of the journey. Our experts will guide your through the process, and help you make appropriate decisions regarding risk, cost, and effort. The key benefits of our services extend beyond just compliance. Enhanced data security and protection, improved organisational reputation and credibility, and strengthened stakeholder trust and confidence are just some of the advantages our clients experience. By utilizing our services, organisations can adapt to evolving regulatory landscapes, effectively manage and mitigate risks, and demonstrate their commitment to data protection.

Our extensive experience and background in data protection and information assurance make us uniquely positioned to support organisations looking to mature their controls, improve compliance, and reduce risks. We understand the challenges faced by organisations in regulated, compliant, or assured industries and are adept at navigating the complexities of national, international, and federal/government environments.

By partnering with us, organisations can ensure a streamlined initiation of their data protection journey and benefit from our expert guidance and support at every step. Our commitment to aligning our services with each organisation's specific needs, coupled with our expertise in the field, allows us to deliver tailored solutions that help clients achieve their goals and maintain a competitive advantage in compliance-driven industries.

Whether you're an education institution, multi-jurisdictional organisation, or enterprise operating in regulatory markets, our Data Protection, Information Assurance, and Compliance services can help you protect your sensitive data and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you safeguard your data and achieve compliance.