GDPR

Challenges

Consistency & increased security

General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR came into force on May 25th, 2018. GDPR aims to create coherence around the management of personal data within the EU. Because data protection is an essential part of GDPR, it has had a significant impact on the importance of protecting personal data, especially from a cyber security perspective.

Continuous evaluation of cyber security

Higher security demands and structured security management are necessary to assure proper personal data protection. Each organization must continuously ensure systems that handle or store personal data. Since most IT environments are a network of computers, servers, etc., interconnected in different ways, organizations must ensure security throughout their entire IT environment.

The seven principles of GDPR

Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency

You may only process personal data if you meet the requirements of the law.

Integrity and confidentiality

Personal information must be stored securely, not altered or stolen.

Data minimisation

You may only collect the information that is necessary to fulfill the purpose.

Accuracy

If you have personal information, you must keep it correct and up to date.

Storage limitation

Data should not be kept longer than needed and should be deleted.

Purpose limitation

You may only collect personal data for a specified purpose.

Accountability

You must be able to prove that you meet all these requirements.

Framework for increased security audits

GDPR requires a combination of technology, processes, procedures, and people working together to guarantee personal data privacy. IT departments need to establish security strategies and use them as a framework to prevent, monitor, and manage any data breaches. This includes developing policies and procedures to train employees to handle data correctly.

Establish processes and systems to identify possible signs of intrusions or security irregularities and notify and report these instances.
Implement preventive security systems such as firewalls and IDS (Intrusion Detection System).
Monitor users with administrator privileges to detect discrepancies or deviant behaviors.
Establish security policies that facilitate continuous monitoring of activities to detect irregularities or unauthorized access to personal data.
Otherwise, ensure that your organization has sufficient protection for the organization’s network against threats such as unauthorized intrusion, removal, and sharing, as well as copying and attempting to copy information.

Financial fines

British Airways

Lack of security led to hackers stealing information from about 400,000 customers.

British Airways had to pay €3,2 million in financials fines.

Capio St. Göran

The hospital’s information system was not adequately secured and ignored the principle of minimum access, which gave users full access to all patient data, including sensitive information.

Capio St. Göran had to pay €22,4 million in financials fines.

Mariotte

Lack of security led hackers to steal 339 million customers’ data. Thirty-one million were EU residents.

Mariotte had to pay €20,4 million in financial fines.

Facts about GDPR

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is an EU-homogeneous regulation.
It has been implemented as a local law in each EU member state and replaced any previous local laws.
It was launched across the EU on May 25th, 2018.
The legislation aims to create coherence around the management of personal data within the EU and increase security.
In the case of a personal data breach, the controller shall, without delay no later than 72 hours after having become aware of it, notify the personal data breach to the supervisory authority.
Penalties for non-compliance are either up to €10 million, or 2% annual global turnover – whichever is higher or up to €20 million, or 4% annual global turnover – whichever is higher. The fines are based on the specific articles of the regulation that has been breached.

Meet laws & recommendations

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