Certification regarding personal data protection can often be confusing and a source of conjecture amongst business owners and data protection practitioners. There is currently, as we go to press with this blog, no one all-encompassing GDPR Certificate.
A recent information technology publication from 2021 suggested that: “Organisations simply need to comply with the GDPR (or at least try to). You don’t need to prove compliance… you simply have to be compliant.”
One of the main objectives of personal data protection is to provide reassurance for data subjects that their personal data is safe and will not be abused or misused. The ICO says: “Applying for certification is voluntary. However, if there is an approved certification scheme that covers your processing activity, you may wish to consider having your processing activities certified as it can help you demonstrate compliance to the regulator, the public and in your business-to-business relationships.”
The ICO approves certification schemes for specific processing activities. For instance, the Age Check Certification Scheme tests include personal data protection criteria for organisations using age assurance products, which is products which have an age-related restriction placed on them.
As the ICO’s webpages covering certification are not written in the clearest language trying to decide if certification benefits you can be difficult. If you are considering it, then the two key questions you may want to ask yourself are:
- Will demonstrating that our organisations data processing activities have been certified as compliant benefit my organisation’s interactions with clients, suppliers, and staff?
- Will working through a certification process make my organisation more accountable for maintaining compliance with personal data protection?
In either case a conversation with CSRB can bring clarity to the complex subject of personal data protection. As a certified personal data protection online training provider, we have the resources available to guide you to the best answers to these and other questions that can make the process of implementing a certified information governance framework easier for your organisation.
Data Protection needs clear explanation in straightforward language.
If you have got questions about personal data protection don’t hide your head under the duvet and hope for the best. Personal data protection should be at the heart of every part of your organisation, from contracts to regular staff training to maintaining certification standards.
It sends a clear message about your brand values and how you value other people.
CSRB can help you manage and protect data responsibly while taking the jargon out of the process. Contact us here or call 0117 325 0830 to learn more about how we can bring clarity to data protection certification and the steps required.