How to Keep Your Business Compliant with GDPR and PIPEDA Regulations

Identity protection and data security are the buzzwords of the tech industry, with laws like GDPR and PIPEDA being put in place to protect an individuals’ rights. With all of these new laws and regulations, though, how do you keep your practices straight and legal?

Here are just a few easy steps your business can take to be GDPR and PIPEDA compliant.

Appoint a Privacy or Data Protection Officer

One of the guidelines that both laws share is the need for businesses to have a privacy officer or data protection officer whose goals are to ensure that companies are following the proper procedures for procuring and securing customer data.

Choose someone in your organization who you can trust to hold you and your staff accountable, and post their contact information on your website in case any clients have questions about how and where their data is being used.

Limit Collection of Private Information

While your clients’ personal information and data may be useful for tracking your sales and planning your marketing strategies, much of the data gathered is not helpful and provides your business with unnecessary legal risks.

To avoid unnecessary data collection, consider altering your website’s cookies to collect fewer parameters or create pop-ups and opt-in forms where your clients can provide consent for the collection of their data.

Train Staff on Privacy Laws and Communication

Your privacy officer shouldn’t be the only one trained in these new laws, however, as every member of your organization will interact with sensitive data on a regular basis.

Hold regular meetings and seminars to help staff become familiar with these laws and asks questions and, most importantly, teach them that if there is a situation where they think data is being stored or handled improperly, to speak up immediately.

Update Company Policies and Strategies

Privacy policies have always been the foundation of digital relations between businesses and customers, but your foundation, in particular, may be outdated and crumbling if you’re not updating it to GDPR and PIPEDA standards.

Updating your privacy policy and informing customers about your data collection and operations will keep you compliant and trustworthy.

Not following identity laws can have serious consequences for a business, but by following these steps and other processes, you can stay on the right side of the law and your customers’ opinions. You can find more information on GDPR here and Pipeda here. If you need to discuss and assess your cybersecurity needs, visit one of our MicroAge locations to speak with our experts.