The GDPR is Nearly Here: Are you ready?

The GDPR is Nearly Here: Are you ready?

If your business has customers who live in the European Union, you have an important deadline approaching.

  • By Jay Hamilton
  • May 21, 2018

If your business has customers who live in the European Union, you have an important deadline approaching. On May 25, 2018, you need to be in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Passed by the EU Parliament in 2016, GDPR is designed to provide data privacy rights to EU citizens and protect them from data breaches. This legislation spells out numerous requirements that companies must meet, such as:

Businesses must get customers’ consent to collect, process, and store their personal data. When companies ask for permission, they must use easy-to-understand terms rather than legal jargon. Plus, it must be easy for customers to withdraw their consent.

Companies can only collect, process, and store the personal data needed to complete a given task and not any extra information. Further, the data collected and stored for one task cannot be repurposed without further consent from customers.

Businesses must notify customers within 72 hours of first becoming aware of a breach that involves their personal data.

Companies need to include data protection measures when they are initially designing their systems rather than adding the measures later on.

All companies that collect, process, or store the personal data of EU citizens are required to comply with GDPR’s requirements, no matter where the organizations are located. For instance, US and Canadian businesses that have customers who live in the European Union must adhere to the regulation.

The penalties for noncompliance are high. The maximum fine, which is reserved for the most serious violations, is €20 million (around $24 million USD) or 4% of a company’s annual global turnover (whichever is greater). The fine structure is tiered, so smaller fines will be levied for less serious infractions.

There are resources available to help businesses understand the GDPR requirements. The official website, EUGDPR.org, has an extensive list of articles, videos, and other types of resources. Its sister site, EUGDPR.com, provides GDPR updates and news.

Some IT vendors also offer GDPR resources, many of which are free. Here are a few examples:

  • Microsoft provides an e-book, an online readiness assessment, webcasts, and whitepapers.
  • Trend Micro has an infographic, checklist, whitepaper, and webinar.
  • IBM furnishes an e-book, webinars, and whitepapers.
  • IT Governance offers a video, infographic, paper, and templates.

About the Author

Jay Hamilton is the Owner, President and CEO of Presage Solutions, Inc.

Featured

  • Accelerating a Pathway

    There is a new trend touting the transformational qualities of AI’s ability to deliver actionable data and predictive analysis that in many instances, seems to be a bit of an overpromise. The reality is that very few solutions in the cyber-physical security (CPS) space live up to this high expectation with the one exception being the new generation of Physical Identity and Access Management (PIAM) software – herein recategorized as PIAM+. Read Now

  • Protecting Your Zones

    It is game day. You can feel the crowd’s energy. In the parking lot. At the gate. In the stadium. On the concourse. Fans are eager to party. Food and merchandise vendors ready themselves for the rush. Read Now

  • Street Smarts

    The ongoing acceptance of AI and advanced data analytics has allowed surveillance camera technology to shift from being a tactical tool to a strategic business solution. Combining traditional surveillance technology with AI-based data-driven insights can streamline transportation systems, enhance traffic management, improve situational awareness, optimize resource allocation and streamline emergency response procedures. Read Now

  • The Progress of Biometrics

  • Next-Gen AI for Smart Cities

    The future of smart city technology is not being shaped in Silicon Valley — it is taking root in Dubuque, Iowa. With a population of about 60,000, this mid-sized city has become a live testbed for AI-driven traffic management thanks to a unique public-private collaboration led by Milestone Systems. Project Hafnia demonstrates how cities can transform urban mobility and safety through Responsible Technology—without costly infrastructure overhauls. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.