The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is relevant to all businesses that collect, process, or store personal data of EU residents–regardless of location. The UK GDPR is the UK’s version of the regulation, which came into effect after Brexit. 

Sustaining UK GDPR compliance is crucial for businesses to avoid hefty fines and maintain customer trust. The sections below explore best practices and tips for keeping up with UK GDPR compliance.

Understand Your Data and Its Purpose

The first step in sustaining UK GDPR compliance is understanding the data you collect, process, or store and its purpose. You need to identify the types of personal data you collect, the legal basis for processing it, and how long you need to keep it. 

You should also assess the risks associated with the data and implement appropriate security measures to protect it.

Implement a Privacy Policy

A privacy policy is a document that outlines how your business collects, processes, and stores personal data. It’s a legal requirement under the UK GDPR and helps to establish trust with customers. 

A clear and simple description of the types of personal data you gather, the legal justification for processing it, and the measures you take to protect it should all be included in your privacy policy. 

You should also include information about how customers can exercise their rights under the GDPR, such as the right to access, rectify, and erase their data.

Obtain Consent

Under the UK GDPR, you must obtain consent from individuals before collecting, processing, or storing their personal data. Freely granted, specific, informed, and unambiguous consent is required. 

You should provide individuals with clear and concise information about why you need their data and how you will use it. You should also give them the option to opt out of marketing communications and other uses of their data.

Implement Data Protection Measures

Data protection measures are essential for keeping up with UK GDPR compliance. To prevent unauthorised access, disclosure, modification, or destruction of personal data, you should put in place the necessary technical and organisational safeguards. 

Some examples of data protection measures include encryption, access controls, firewalls, and regular data backups.

Train Your Employees

Your employees need to understand the regulation, your privacy policy, and their responsibilities in protecting personal data. You should provide regular training and awareness programs to ensure that your employees are up-to-date with the latest GDPR requirements and best practices.

Respond to Data Breaches

Data breaches can happen even with the best data protection measures in place. A strategy for quickly responding to data breaches must be in place. 

You should have a designated person or team responsible for managing data breaches and a clear process for reporting and communicating breaches to affected individuals and authorities.

Conduct Regular Audits

Audits help you identify areas of non-compliance and implement corrective actions. You should conduct regular audits of your data protection measures, privacy policy, and data processing activities. 

You should also review and update your privacy policy and data protection measures regularly to ensure they remain effective.

Conclusion

UK GDPR compliance is an ongoing process that requires constant vigilance and attention. It is necessary for organisations to stay up to date with any changes or updates to the GDPR and to adjust their compliance efforts accordingly. 

By prioritising data protection and making it a core part of their operations, organisations can not only avoid costly fines but also earn the trust and loyalty of their customers.

Briefed is ready to assist you with GDPR compliance training. We offer a wide range of highly effective compliance solutions in data & privacy, equality & diversity and climate & sustainability. 

We also specialise in providing training, compliance, and business support services to suit your organisation’s needs. Schedule an appointment today!