Why you should consider a virtual DPO

Why should you consider employing a Virtual Data Protection Officer? There’s a pretty strong case…

GDPR and data protection in general are complicated beasts. The regulations are in the form of a framework meaning that there has already been much debate as to what section refers to what. And worse, there are conflicting ideas about what should we do as businesses in order to comply. The awareness is pretty high now. But still people are struggling to understand just what it is they need to do. And more importantly many don’t even know where to start!

This is where a VDPO comes in.

A VDPO is a virtual (or freelance) Data Protection Officer. They come qualified to handle your GDPR requirements and ensure you are compliant. Even if you are the sort of organisation that doesn’t actually need to have one, it’s well worth thinking about.

In the simplest terms a virtual DPO worth their salt will take EVERYTHING to do with GDPR off your hands, and guide you through implementation and compliance. They handle everything from mapping your data and auditing it to ensure your governance is on point to developing the essential Privacy Notices and Cookie Polices that protect your business and your customer.

They can be the direct liaison with the ICO in the unfortunate situation that should be required. And they are the person that everyone in the organisation can go to when they have question about data protection. Most VDPO’s come with their own platforms meaning you can avoid all the requirement gathering and project managing of building your own. Or worse, adapting something else that’s not quite right!

Subject access rights

And crucially they can ensure you are following the regulations when it comes to dealing with your data subjects. If you get a Subject Access Request they will have put system in place to handle this smoothly and efficiently. Data Subjects have the right to have their data corrected, or deleted. They can limit processing and even ask you to transport their data from you to another party. As you might imagine, this is a huge task for the unprepared organisation. And it’s not even as simple as that, as you might find yourself in trouble deleting data at the request of the data subject that you had a legal obligation to have kept! Its happening already.

And should you be handling data being transferred out of the EEA? Say to the US or India where most of the IT platforms we use live. A VDPO can handle the intricacies of dealing with data transfer agreements. Remember, if your supply change isn’t compliant, you aren’t. What do you do about that? Ask your VDPO!

Above all of course, you can save a lot of money and effort if you employ a VDPO.

Not only in terms of simplifying and shortening the process to compliance. Saving your sanity and the sanity of the teams involved. And of course saving money in terms not employing a specialist. You’ll also save a ton of time and frustration too. No more endless meetings with consultants to work out the data flows and the lawful basis of processing. You’re VDPO will guide you through every step.

You’ll still have to put some work in, and that’s right and proper. The GDPR is about putting data protection at the heart of what we do as businesses. You’re VDPO will ensure they inform the owners and management teams. And makes sure they are capable of understanding what is going on with the data in their businesses. A good VDPO can ensure that is the case. Just like working with an expert in any field your VDPO will be a board level asset that can guide you painlessly through the web of regulations, new and old, and make sure you won’t fall foul of anything.

Futureproof

They’ll also make sure you are future proof when it comes to the other things you need to be aware of like the ePrivacy regulation which is rumoured to be in place by 2020.

Cybata offer specials VDPO services to all sizes of business, small and large. Talk to us today to find out more.