With the deadline for GDPR compliance only 5 days away, the countdown is on and the panic is setting in. But why? While the U.S. has historically been a highly regulated country, the EU’s data privacy regulations have not kept up with the evolving threats, until now.
The GDPR is vast and so wide reaching that it effects countries outside the EU if they hold or process any EU citizen data. But you probably already know that or you wouldn’t be reading this. The real question is, why should you not care?
Why GDPR compliance shouldn’t be your focus.
The ‘fear-factor’ messaging is running rampant among vendors positioning their solutions as a failsafe for compliance. It is easy for company leaders to get swept up in the hype and forget what the GDPR is really about, security. After all, you can’t keep data private without securing it, and you can’t comply without keeping data private.
Organizations have been checking off boxes for compliance since requirements were put around governance and risk management. But checking off boxes without assessing where an organization is truly vulnerable is exactly what has led to the constant headlines about hacks and data theft.
If security is your primary goal, you can back into compliance requirements and check off that little box that makes us all feel so accomplished, while knowing you’re doing the right things to protect PII and your brand reputation.
Where to start? Keep it simple.
Start by knowing where you are susceptible to a data breach with a vulnerability scan.
Digital Defense provides services to organizations subject to the GDPR by aiding them in securing their assets and network to demonstrate that appropriate measures are implemented to protect the GDPR in-scope data. In the event enforcement measures are taken against an organization due to a breach of GDPR, our services like Frontline VM™, Frontline WAS™, etc., prove due diligence in adhering to a code of conduct or certification in compliance with data protection principles.
Vulnerability management, risk assessments, data privacy and protection are really all just kissing cousins. If your ultimate goal is security and you do the right things to protect your data, complying with regulations will just be the icing on the cake.
Leverage the GDPR driver to push through security initiatives.
Whether you are a global, U.S. or Canadian company, the GDPR likely applies to your business; even if it somehow doesn’t, it is definitely a data privacy best practice to implement as it clearly calls out ISO 27001 as a framework to help comply. The fines can be astronomical, up to 4% of annual global turnover or €20 Million (whichever is greater). What better reason than that to have budget align with putting innovative security safeguards in place?
Burying your head in the sand is a surefire way to tank your brand trust because hackers are just getting more efficient and sophisticated. They will come at you again and again. Will you be prepared? Organizations that put the security of customer and employee data first are the resilient brands that stand the test of time–and of breach.
Click here to find out how Digital Defense can help with GDPR compliance efforts.
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