What is a DPO, what is its  role and when is it necessary?

What is a DPO, what is its  role and when is it necessary?

The General Data Protection Regulation is the European regulation  on the protection of natural persons with regard to their personal data and the free movement of such data.

This regulation started to apply as of 25 May 2018 and  its aim is to protect the privacy of citizens in digital media. For this reason, the regulation establishes the figure of the DPO, a protection  role

with different functions, offered by companies such as Seifti in an automated and simple way so that all businesses can offer security to their customers.

What is a DPO?

A DPO or Data Protection Officer is the person or company in charge of supervising that a company complies with the General Data Protection Regulation. In this sense, one of the functions of the DPO is to inform and advise the data processor and employees about their obligations with respect to the regulation. He or she also monitors compliance with the rules, provides advice to the company in his or her area and cooperates with the supervisory authority, as well as serving as a point of contact with the supervisory authority.

For the proper functioning of the working relationship, the DPO must have sufficient autonomy and resources to do his or her job. For this reason, the head of the company must provide everything necessary in terms of equipment and information, in addition to involving him/her from the beginning in any activity that has to do with data management.

When is it necessary to have a DPO?

Although this role is important, not all companies are required to have a DPO. For example, it is necessary when the data processing is carried out by a public body, with the exception of the courts. It is also necessary when the data require routine observation on a large scale.

Some of the companies that must have a DPO are distributors and marketers of electricity or natural gas, insurers and reinsurers, entities responsible for credit information systems and the like. Likewise, health centres, universities and professional associations also fall into this group.

The DPO function can be performed by an automated system such as Seifti, an EU-compliant data protection and security platform. Its processes are fast and simplified so that any company can use it without inconvenience. Another advantage is that it is constantly updated to keep customer security up to date.

With interconnectedness and the digital age, there are more and more digital threats to the security and stability of companies. For this reason, having a data protection expert such as those who are part of the Seifti team can be key to ensuring the smooth running and success of a company.

 

 

Download our free checklist on the need for a DPO and their requirements

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