6 hints to help you comply with GDPR guidelines

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been in force since May 2018. It is a comprehensive data protection regulation that obliges companies to protect personal data and ensure that this data is stored and processed in an appropriate manner. This is important to ensure that personal data is handled sensitively and strangers do not gain insight into private information. The GDPR also protects against data misuse.

An important aspect of the GDPR concerns the deletion of data. Companies are obliged to delete personal data at the request of the data subject, unless there are legal or other reasons preventing deletion. It is therefore important that companies are able to delete personal data when necessary. A breach of this obligation to delete can lead to heavy fines being imposed.

Data must always be deleted if the data subject revokes consent to data processing or if the purpose for which the data was collected no longer exists. However, legal retention obligations stand in the way of this. The regulations on retention and deletion always depend very much on the respective company, so you should inform yourself comprehensively in this regard.

Without a well thought-out concept for deleting data, complying with the regulations can be very complex and cost a lot of time. In addition, it is easy to lose track of large amounts of data. A deletion concept tailored to your company saves you time and nerves.

Our checklist shows you what you need to consider:

1. Documentation

Make sure you document what personal data you store and how it is stored. This is important to be sure that the data can be deleted properly.

2. Access control

Make sure that only authorised persons have access to personal data. This helps to ensure data protection and that only those people who need access to the data have it. This way, no private data gets into the hands of strangers.

3. Deletion procedure

Develop a standardised procedure for deleting personal data. This will ensure that data is deleted properly and that no data is accidentally left behind.

4. Monitoring

Monitor your data processing operations to ensure that personal data is properly deleted. This can be achieved through regular reviews or automated monitoring systems.

5. Training

All employees who have access to personal data should be informed about the GDPR and know how to delete personal data properly.

6. Legality

Make sure that the deletion of personal data is in compliance with the GDPR and other applicable laws and regulations. It is important that you comply with all necessary legal requirements before deleting personal data.

How do I proceed when deleting data?

First of all, you should be clear about what data you have stored and where. Now categorise them according to the retention period. Then define deletion rules according to which the data is removed from your systems in due time. It often makes sense to define separate deletion rules for individual departments. Finally, the deletion method is selected. It must ensure that the data is deleted completely and irretrievably. Finally, check whether the deletion process was successful and notify the persons concerned about the deletion.

With the help of a software solution, you can automate the procedure for your company. For example, mark resources that contain or process personal data and define a purpose of use. Cleanup functions can also help you clean up redundant data and automatically meet deletion deadlines.

Official EU guidelines

There are also official guidelines from the EU Commission on the GDPR that are intended to support companies with implementation. However, these guidelines are not binding and cannot cover all possible use cases and questions. For example, the EU Commission has published a guideline on data protection impact assessment, which is intended to help companies identify and minimise risks in connection with the processing of personal data. Another guideline concerns the role of the data protection officer.

In addition, many countries have national data protection authorities that also publish guidelines and recommendations. In Germany, for example, the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI) has published several guidelines and information to help companies implement the GDPR. However, it is important to note that there is no universal solution for implementing the GDPR, as this depends on various factors such as the type of data processed, the type of organisation and the size of the company.

Companies should therefore carry out a comprehensive risk assessment and take individual measures to ensure compliance with the GDPR.

Conclusion

Deletion of personal data is an important aspect of the GDPR. Companies should ensure that they have a standardised process for deleting personal data and ensure that they comply with all necessary legal requirements.

By training employees, monitoring processes and access controls, companies can ensure that they comply with data protection regulations and can delete personal data properly.

Our solution for you: The BAYOOSOFT Access Manager

Our solution for you

BAYOOSOFT Access Manager helps you to comply with these rules. With our software solution, you have the possibility to comply with all requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation EU-DSGVO 2016/679.

Learn more about our features, such as the recertification process or the cleanup function.

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