Monday 22 January 2018

Are You GDPR Ready?


The countdown is on and GDPR is just around the corner (well, four months but let’s not quibble!).

On Friday 25 May 2018, new General Data Protection Regulations will come into force. Although these will be an evolution of the existing Data Protection Act, rather than a complete rewrite, many organisations will need to look closely and alter their existing data protection policies.

But don’t panic just yet, there’s no need to empty your filing cabinets, print every document or file you’ve ever created and build a monumental fire in front of the office. There’s plenty of time to get yourself organised and ready for the change. With our advice, you’ll be ready for May in no time at all. Here are our tips for tackling GDPR head on:

1. Make sure you are compliant – This may sound like a no-brainer, but check to see if your current procedures, policies and contracts would be classed as compliant under the new regulations. You then need to appoint a Data Processor who will have the responsibility of overseeing the new regulations and ensuring that all necessary requirements are met. If you are a public authority, you will also need to hire a Data Protection Officer.

2. Conduct an audit – Assess the current personal data that you hold, where it came from and whether any third parties would need to access it. Your responsibilities don’t stop in-house either. Talk to your supply chains and ask them about their processes to ensure that they will also be GDPR compliant.

3. Develop a culture of transparency – Every member of staff and all your clients must know the types of data that will be held about them, how and where you store it and that there is a genuine and legal need to process it. GDPR is something that will affect everyone, not just those at the top of the food chain or departments such as security, IT or HR.

4. Security awareness – Accounts, client information, data on prospective employees – most of it is now kept online. Cyber threats are one of the greatest dangers a company can face nowadays, so implementing the correct security measures to protect your business (if you haven’t already) should be a priority. In addition to this, offer training to your employees. If they are unsure how your data and security processes work and the consequences that could occur due to a breach, they could end up creating a massive (yet easily avoidable) issue simply through lack of knowledge.

It may sound scary, but it is hoped that the desired changes will give everyone (businesses, clients, employees, and suppliers) a greater confidence and trust in how their personal data is processed, stored, and destroyed. Clearly, displaying data protection compliance can only be a good thing.

How Office Prime Supplies Can Help…

Feeling a little overwhelmed by your GDPR to-do list? 

Well, we can take some ofthe pressure off with our range of off-site shredding options. We can deliver either 240L/660L lockable bins or bags to your office, arrange collection either as a one-off clear out or on a regular basis, shred it securely and provide you with a certificate of compliance. Other than filling up your bags or bins, you don’t need to do anything.

Now we appreciate that you could do this yourself, but have you ever used a shredder at home to destroy your personal data? It’s mind-numbingly tedious and incredibly time-consuming. Do you really want your staff spending hours destroying data or would you rather they were doing their day jobs and growing your business? The DIY option could cost you as much as 50% extra in terms of time and productivity lost compared with outsourcing it to a professional provider (that would be us and our partners!).

We ensure that your data is genuinely secure while it awaits destruction, is destroyed correctly and in accordance with any security requirements, and provide you with a visible audit trail to demonstrate your compliance. Can the same be said for the boxes of paperwork left in the middle of the office waiting to be shredded?

For more information, email matthew@officeprimesupplies.co.uk or give us a call on 01270 760713.

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