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Data Protection: Get Yourself Ready for April 2018

November 23, 2017

Preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 12 Steps to take now

The Information Commissioners Office has created a Guide to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which helps explain the provisions of the GDPR and how organisations can comply with the requirements of the legislation. This is for those people who have day-to-day responsibility for data protection in their organisation.

This checklist highlights 12 steps you can take now to prepare for GDPR which will apply from 25th May 2018.

Some of this information may look a little daunting, so if you would like to attend some training on how this applies to your organisation from SDSS, just let Jess know at jess@sdsscotland.org.uk

1) Awareness

You should make sure that decision makers and key people in your organisation are aware that the law is changing to the GDPR. They need to appreciate the impact this is likely to have.

2) Information you hold

You should document what personal data you hold, where it came from and who you share it with. You may need to organise an information audit.

3) Communicating privacy information

You should review your current privacy notices and put a plan in place for making any necessary changes in time for GDPR implementation.

4) Individuals’ rights

You should check your procedures to ensure they cover all the rights individuals have, including how you would delete personal data or provide data electronically and in a commonly used format.

5) Subject access requests

You should update your procedures and plan how you will handle requests within the new timescales and provide any additional information.

6) Lawful basis for processing personal data

You should identify the lawful basis for your processing activity in the GDPR, document it and update your privacy notice to explain it.

7) Consent

You should review how you seek, record and manage consent and whether you need to make any changes. Refresh existing consents now if they don’t meet the GDPR standard.

8) Children

You should start thinking now about whether you need to put systems in place to verify individuals’ ages and to obtain parental or guardian consent for any data processing activity.

9) Data breaches

You should make sure you have the right procedures in place to detect, report and investigate a personal data breach.

10) Data Protection by Design and Data Protection Impact Assessments

You should familiarise yourself now with the ICO’s code of practice on Privacy Impact Assessments and work out how and when to implement them in your organisation.

11) Data Protection Officers

You should designate someone to take responsibility for data protection compliance and consider whether you are required to formally designate a Data Protection Officer.

12) International

This relates to any organisation operating in more than one country.

See a Guide to Data Protection from the ICO and a copy of the Preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 12 steps to take now