Blog

Data protection in the digital age  

Lilly Horn

30 October 2023

How you can meet the challenges

Navigating the digital world does pose some challenges, especially when it comes to keeping our data safe and respecting privacy. As technology becomes an even bigger part of our everyday lives, the risks of data breaches and cyber attacks rise more quickly. This means we need to really understand these data protection challenges and use effective strategies to deal with them. 

A major challenge in the digital age is the constantly evolving landscape of data protection laws. To illustrate, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) underwent a significant transformation in 2021 when the European Commission introduced new Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs). These clauses play a vital role in the transfer of personal data to other countries and have imposed fresh obligations on organizations. Adapting to these new clauses necessitates a thorough review of your data transfer agreements and implementing the required adjustments. This process can prove to be quite demanding for many organizations. 

Within the complex landscape of privacy concerns, it's important to recognize that challenges can be quite diverse. For instance, companies in healthcare settings may encounter specific dilemmas related to managing personal sensitive data, like vaccination statuses during the Covid-19 pandemic. While these scenarios are more niche, they underscore the importance of clear guidelines and policies when handling such delicate information, even if they don't apply to all organizations. 

Here are our six expert steps to tackle these challenges: 
 

  1. Stay Updated on Regulatory Changes: Keep yourself updated with the latest regulations and understand how they impact your data processing activities. Seek advice from legal experts to stay compliant.  
  1. Develop Clear Data Protection Policies: Create comprehensive data protection policies and ensure they are well-communicated across your organization. Keep these policies updated to align with any legal or technological changes.  
  1. Prioritize Data Privacy from the Start: Make data privacy a priority from the beginning of any project, rather than an afterthought 2 .  
  1. Educate Your Team: Conduct regular training sessions to keep your team informed about data protection protocols and best practices.  
  1. Appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO): Assign a DPO to oversee data protection and privacy compliance efforts, ensuring that your organization stays in line with legal requirements.  
  1. Ensure Vendor Compliance: Work closely with third-party vendors and partners, ensuring they comply with data protection standards through thorough checks and contract agreements.  

 
At Kertos, we aim to simplify the journey towards GDPR and privacy compliance, making it accessible and manageable for young legal professionals. Our innovative solutions are designed to support your compliance efforts, easing the process while maintaining a high level of effectiveness. Discover a streamlined approach to data protection with Kertos at www.kertos.io.