GDPR Compliance Overview

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the data protection law of the European Union aimed at improving personal data protection by providing people more control over how their personal data is collected, used, and protected. It is applicable to institutions that process personal data of EU residents regardless of the location of the organization itself. GDPR needs organizations to know what personal data they have, why they are processing it, where it is, and how it is protected throughout the data lifecycle. Transparency, accountability, and security are key to delivering on these obligations.

Why It Matters

GDPR has significantly reshaped the world’s perception of data privacy. Companies that do not have a strong security posture may face heavy administrative fines, regulatory investigations, and harm to their reputation. GDPR goes beyond enforcement, and has become a gold standard on trust, it requires organizations to exhibit responsible data handling and good governance practices. The increasingly regulatory and monitoring-driven environment means organizations must take a proactive risk-based approach to the protection of personal data and document efforts to protect it.

Core Focus Areas

GDPR is centered around lawful and transparent data processing, data minimization, purpose limitation, access controls, and the protection of individual rights such as access, rectification, erasure, and data portability. Organizations must also include designing privacy by default and privacy by design, keep records of processing activities, and take measures necessary to secure individuals and data against unauthorized access to personal data. Good compliance hinges on good governance, clear, accurate classification of data, and consistent controls with a homogenized approach across on-premises, cloud, or hybrid environments.

Next Steps

Companies that are contemplating this and the related issues of improving visibility into personal data, strengthening security controls, and organizational controls which may need further attention for GDPR compliance are required. Strong record keeping and the ability to conduct audits is critical here to demonstrate compliance going forward.