The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has caused a lot of upheaval in the business world. The EU requirements put in place by this law requires more stringent measures in place to protect consumer data and ensure that it’s used legally. Unlike previous data protection acts in the EU, this regulation also applies to foreign companies that hold EU citizen data. The advantage of the GDPR is that you have to adhere to the same data protection standards for all of the EU members, rather than trying to track dozens of laws. However, you face a lot of challenges on the road to compliance.
The GDPR takes a broad approach to the data that’s defined as personal data. You have more to worry about than someone’s name, credit card information, social security number and other common personally identifiable information. IP addresses and cookie data also fall under these requirements. EU consumers have more control over how their information gets stored and used, as well as the ability to get this data deleted.
The fine for noncompliance is €20 million or four percent of global turnover, so the financial consequences are significant. Your organization has to fulfill many requirements to meet this regulation, such as putting a data control officer in place, getting a system to obtain explicit consent to collect and use the data, implementing encryption measures and arranging for random data audits. GDPR compliance requires a lot of resources that your organization may not have readily available. Bringing in a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) to manage your GDPR compliance measures gives you access to the specialists that make this process seamless.
Gap Analysis
The first thing an MSSP does is perform a gap analysis on your network and current procedures to see where compliance is lacking. They document their findings and use this as the basis of a remediation plan. The MSSP consultants will work with the IT department and management to understand your current infrastructure and capabilities.
While you may be able to perform your own gap analysis, it’s easy to overlook problem areas when you’re not familiar with all of the GDPR requirements. The MSSP works with compliance measures as their primary focus, so they can identify issues that may not get noticed until after a penalty.
Remediation Plan
The plan gets implemented and the MSSP documents the procedures for the organization so you can maintain compliance standards. The consultant also gives you the necessary legal documentation so you can prove that you are adhering to all of the GDPR regulations. You have everything in place when random audits occur, so you don’t have to scramble to address problems when someone comes in to take a look at your systems.
Benefits of Outsourcing to an MSSP
Complying with all of the requirements of the GDPR is time and resource intensive. When the cost of non-compliance is so high, your organization can’t afford to ignore the data protection measures when they operate in the EU.
When you bring in an MSSP that specializes in GDPR compliance, you save time, money and headaches. This service provider can guide you through everything your organization needs to get in compliance before you get hit with any penalties due to your data storage, processing, usage and management activities.
Sources:
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3202771/data-protection/general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr-requirements-deadlines-and-facts.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation
https://www.sysarc.com/services/managed-security-services/gdpr-compliance/
