What is GDPR Training?

What is GDPR Training?

17 Jul 2023

GDPR compliance can be complicated and if personal data is mishandled it can lead to legal issues, fines, and trust breaches. GDPR training can help you to understand the steps you can take to comply with data protection laws, build a secure data-handling culture, and foster trust with stakeholders.

Most organisations today are increasingly using technology to record, manage and retain personal and operational information.

Avoiding damaging Cyber Attacks and protecting personal information is therefore something that cannot be ignored.

The implications and penalties are far too great in both financial and reputational terms!

Taking practical and straightforward steps to minimise the threats and risks can seem daunting, however, there is help and guidance available that can make those steps easy to understand and provide the confidence to take the actions to keep your business, organisation or charity much safer.

Protecting data, and the devices the data on which the data is stored, means that organisations have little option not to dovetail GDPR and Cyber Security to create a 21^st Century approach and response to the threats being faced in today’s technical environment.

Here we look at 5 benefits of GDPR training to help you take steps to become compliant and more Cyber aware. We think that knowledge is the catalyst and driver for taking positive action.

 But first, let's be clear...

What is GDPR?

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a set of regulations which requires all organisations (no matter what size or sector of businesses, charities, clubs or other entities who use personal data) to keep their customers’ personal data secure as well as protecting their privacy rights.

The European Union law was brought into force on May 25, 2018, and the UK adopted this after Brexit whilst renaming it as The Data Protection Act 2018 or UK GDPR.

If you do business with or process personal information of people living in the UK and the EU, you must follow these regulations.

 

What is Cyber Security?

Cyber security is how individuals and organisations reduce the risk of cyber-attack.

Cyber security's core function is to protect the devices we all use (smartphones, laptops, tablets and computers), and the services we access - both online and at work - from theft or damage.

It's also about preventing unauthorised access to the vast amounts of personal information we store on these devices, and online.

 

5 Benefits of GDPR Training 

 

 1. Get a Clear View of Your Data

When it’s broken down into simple steps, adhering to GDPR compliance can give businesses a better understanding of their data, where it comes from and how it is shared and used in your organisation.

Armed with greater clarity about the information you have will often result in streamlining processes and eradicating duplication or unproductive operational activity.

 

2. Better Management of Data

The starting point of the GDPR compliance process is knowing exactly what personal data exists - Things like where it is:

• - how it is used
• - how it is kept secure 
• - how long it is needed

 

This is done through an internal data audit or gap analysis and very often this uncovers a few surprises and prompts such questions as “Why do we do this?”.

The answer is usually because that’s the way we have always done it!

Filtering out data you really don’t need will streamline what you do and enable greater efficiency.

Data management and governance is frequently said “That’s all done by IT” when, in fact, it’s a decision probably better suited to senior management with guidance from IT.

GDPR can prove to be the driver for more efficient data management.

 

3. Developing & Protecting Your Brand, Reputation & Image

With an appropriate focus on privacy, Organisations will not only introduce better protection against being hacked and avoid any potential penalties but also bolster the real value of their brand and reputation that has not previously been visible.

Having a robust approach to privacy is not always associated with trust in an organisation however, in the event that data privacy is compromised and customer/staff/client data is lost, one of the natural conclusions is the loss of trust in the organisation and brand.

Not to mention the time and cost of correcting what went wrong.

One of the longer-term benefits of GDPR compliance and an effective cyber security regime will be a strengthening of customer and staff trust and a resulting increase in loyalty & brand value.

 

4. Increased Trust & Credibility

GDPR is built on accountability, The Data Protection Principles, The Rights of Individuals and The Legal Basis for Processing & Risk Management.

It requires the effective integration of policies & procedures; technology and the people who work in the organisation.

The key points are: -

• - Accountability & documentation
• - Confidentiality & integrity
• - Data retention & minimisation
• - Fairness, transparency & lawfulness
• - Purpose clarity & limitation
• - Storage & access controls
• - Risk awareness & mitigation
• - Accuracy & relevance of data

 

GDPR is seen as one of the toughest data integrity approaches in the world and other countries are starting to adopt similarly robust laws.

It is therefore increasingly difficult to justify holding back and not undertaking GDPR implementation.

Becoming GDPR compliant demonstrates that your organisation is operating to a very high standard. Something your staff, clients, suppliers and customers will value.

 

5. Strengthening Your Supply Chain

GDPR compliance is fundamental when you supply services/products to other organisations, businesses and companies.

It requires you to validate that those who supply you are themselves compliant, to the extent that any data they process for you is still your responsibility, not just theirs.

UK GDPR (and the European Economic Area) requires data controllers to undertake diligence checks on organisations/other businesses they choose to engage as processors or share personal data with.

This means that you should only use suppliers that can demonstrate their own internal compliance, have documentary evidence detailing the security of their IT systems and implement appropriate measures to protect the rights of individual data subjects.

This strengthening of your supply chain will only add credibility and value to your own product/service. A clear benefit to you and your customers.

 

Summary

To protect customer data and avoid penalties, organisations cannot avoid compliance with GDPR and implementing robust cyber security defences.

Doing this alone can be a challenge that is difficult to overcome.

Developing awareness and a practical & pragmatic understanding of the detail will give you the confidence to begin the journey towards compliance without making time-consuming and frustrating mistakes.

This is where GDPR training comes in. With the guidance of a GPDR expert to answer questions you may have about your specific company situation you are able to develop knowledge and understand how areas of GDPR compliance apply directly to your business. 

 M Training's 5 Star Rated 1 Day GDPR Training course, can help you to understand GDPR. Held as scheduled public courses in Manchester, Glasgow and Online, or if you're looking for something a bit more tailored we also offer them as Private, In-house courses that can be run at your premises anywhere in the UK.