Outsourcing your Data Protection Officer
PrivacyTrust provides our clients with Data Protection Officers as a service. This article provides advice on whether you need to appoint a data protection officer and their role and function.
What is a data protection officer?
A data protection officer’s primary duty is to ensure a company’s compliance with GDPR and other relevant legislation. Their responsibilities include: –
- To advise and monitor the organisation about their obligations to comply with the UK GDPR and other data protection laws
- Providing information and training to the company’s employees and manage internal data protection activities, raising awareness of data protection issues, and conducting internal audits
- To advise on DPIAs
- Be the first point of contact within the organisation with regards to data protection issues and be the contact for the organisation with the ICO
A company, its management team, employees and a company’s clients all depend on having good competent advice when it comes to the fast-moving field of regulatory requirements relating to the processing of data.
A Data Protection Officer (DPO) balances the needs and rights of the employees and the customers with the interests of the company or organisation. Making a Data Protection Officer a key resource for the organisation when a company undergoes a digital transformation.
Who is required to have a Data Protection Officer (DPO)?
There are certain conditions in which a company is mandated to appoint a DPO, these are if: –
- its core activities involve the processing of sensitive data on a large scale
- its activities involve large scale, regular and systematic monitoring of individuals i.e monitoring the behaviour of individuals to include
- all forms of tracking and profiling on the internet, including for the purposes of behavioral advertising.
- they are a public body
Appointing a DPO
GDPR guidance states that a data protection officer may be appointed from among the company’s employees, or the company may appoint an “external data protection officer”. Fulfilling this role with a candidate whose knowledge is tried and tested is imperative.
With this in mind, it is clear to see the benefits of outsourcing your DPO and is why our clients use our DPO’s. PrivacyTrust DPO’s practice and share the most up-to-date knowledge and best practice regarding privacy legislation, IT systems, software, policies and procedures. Using their experience they are able to complete all relevant tasks efficiently.
We offer three packages to our clients
- Pay as you go – no monthly contract or fee, a set hourly rate, billed monthly
- DPOaaS package – set amount of hours and support for a set monthly fee
- Custom – A package designed around the specific needs of your company
Knowing you are covered by PrivacyTrust puts you in control of exactly how much you are spending while ensuring you have access to a blend of knowledge and skills focussed on supporting your company.
For more information on PrivacyTrust or to talk with someone about how we can support your company email stewart.denley@prvacytrust.com