Organisational measures
Training for employees in GDPR and data protection in general
It is good to offer education and training for employees in GDPR on a regular basis. The same applies to the management of the company. GDPR permeates the entire business, as the processing of personal data is a central part. For example, companies often process personal data belonging to employees, customers, business partners representatives, etc. In such cases, the company must comply with GDPR and there is a lot of information and many rules to keep track of.
Training for employees in GDPR
Employees should receive appropriate training in GDPR related to their tasks. Since many people in companies process personal data as a natural part of their tasks, it is important for them to know the rules. For example, if a customer service employee receives a request from a data subject to comply with a right, the employee needs to handle the matter correctly. The same applies to an IT technician who maintains servers for the storage of personal data. If a personal data breach should occur in connection with the work in the servers, the IT technician needs to know how to act correctly in accordance with the GDPR in order for the company to be able to fulfil its obligations regarding the reporting of the personal data breach.
GDPR is a comprehensive regulatory framework, and it does not have to be necessary for all employees to know all the rules. However, it is important that they know the rules that are relevant to their tasks and the way they process personal data. Therefore, it is good to establish written procedures and instructions, so that employees can easily keep track of what they need to do. However, there are certain things that can be good for everyone at the company to know. For example, what can constitute a personal data breach and how they should act if it occurs.
Training for Data Protection Officers
It is good to offer further training for data protection officers, if the company has such a representative. Not all companies need to have a data protection officer. For example, it is good that the data protection officer is given the opportunity to further education by taking courses on new data protection practices, or new regulations that complement the GDPR, such as the EU AI Act.
Larger companies should have data protection ambassadors
At larger companies, it can greatly simplify data protection work if the company appoints data protection ambassadors. For example, if a company has several departments working separately. In such cases, it may be useful to appoint one of the employees on each diversion as a data protection ambassador. That person should receive more in-depth training in GDPR and data protection, as well as be appointed as a contact person regarding questions about GDPR for the employees in the department.
The management can also, in turn, convey important data protection information to the data protection ambassadors, who are tasked with passing on the information to the employees in their respective departments. A data protection ambassador thus becomes a communication route and the hub between management and other employees. In this way, it will be easier for the company to communicate, for example, new policies in the area, and to receive information about important data protection-related matters.
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Companies need to build a strong safety culture
In order for a company to have good data protection and comply with all the rules in, for example, GDPR, they should create a good and strong security culture. In other words, create common values, knowledge and routines in data and cyber security. The better the security culture, the less likely it is that personal data breaches will occur and the milder the consequences may be if they do occur.