Are you confused about whether you should actually get GDPR certification to prove your compliance in the regulation? Check out the article to know whether a physical certification can assure your organization compliance in GDPR.
General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR is a government-backed regulation that includes the security of data regarding the European Union’s citizen. Regardless of the geography of the organization, the company should be GDPR compliant to deal with any data or information of EU citizen.
Since the announcement of GDPR the companies and organizations are in a state of panic, whether certification is necessary to avoid getting high penalties during the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) audits. The Data Protection Act has already administered fines on information breaches, and GDPR is an addition to this act with some modifications.
The latest addition ensures not only security of the data but also how the organization should use the acquired data and information. In case of any breaches or misuse of the information found, can lead to massive fine payment, receive warning notices, etc.
Compliance does not merely mean getting your venture a certificate in the name of GDPR. The government and ICO have made it clear that all the regulations rules should be followed and made into effect to prove your compliance. Regular updating and keeping records of the information used are one of the primary procedures in the regulation.
Getting expert advice for the procedure is a good start in the procedure. But none of their certifications will save you from the penalties if the auditing from ICO finds any breaches or misuses of information. So, it is essential to make yourself clear about your organization’s operation, to assure that you are compliant to the regulation.
Nowadays many certificate courses advertise that once the course is finished, your company will be automatically GDPR compliant. When auditing happens, all you need to show is that you have followed entirely the regulations put forward by the GDPR and submit the documentation you have stored.
Information Commissioner’s Office has announced that only valid certificate will be issued by certain certification bodies, to showcase your compliance to GDPR. These certification bodies will assess and help you taking needed steps to follow the rules, and this certificate will be valid for three years. After the valid period, renewal of the certification is required.
When a breach or loss of information of the customer is found, it is the responsibility of the organization to report to the ICO immediately. GDPR has released a set of requirements which the organization should take into action and should demonstrate to the ICO auditors while auditing. Some of them are:
- Policies and procedures that comply with GDPR requirements.
- Implementation of all policies in the organization’s activities
- Adequate measures are taken for a smooth operation
- External controls for misuses and breaches
GDPR certification means merely to comply with the regulation, which was created to stop the abuse of customer information without the knowledge of the information’s owner.