Data Protection Training for Employees

Why Data Protection Training is so important

 

Good data protection training is essential to raise awareness and ensure that anyone handling personal data in the business understands their responsibilities and knows how to protect the information they process on a daily basis.

When someone has a thorough understanding of why it is so important to keep personal details safe and secure and are more alert to both the risks and the consequences of data loss, protecting that data becomes second nature – a first thought, rather than an afterthought.

Regular and relevant data protection training is also a requirement of GDPR and Data Protection regulations in the UK.   Records of training need to be maintained as evidence of compliance.

Data protection training should be provided to all new starters including temporary and contract workers, refreshed on at least an annual basis and followed up with regular reminders to help promote a culture of commitment to data protection.

My approach to Data Protection Training

 

Let’s be honest, people rarely get excited about Data Protection and GDPR training.  It’s often seen as a very dry and boring subject, with a long list of “do’s and don’ts”.    But it really doesn’t have to be that way.    At Percipient Consulting, I am committed to providing training which is interesting, informative and engaging, using current and relevant examples and scenarios to help focus the mind and ensure a much better understanding of the importance of protecting our data both at work and at home.

All too often Data Protection training is completed as a tick box exercise to satisfy compliance to GDPR, Information Security standards and statutory obligations and to protect the company’s reputation.   Whilst this is obviously vitally important, I believe that good data protection awareness training should achieve much more than that.    It should protect the employee as well as the company.

Really good data protection training should give everyone a wider awareness of the risks of not keeping personal data safe both inside and outside of the workplace.   Making the training relevant to an individual’s everyday life and providing an understanding of why something is so important and what can go wrong, helps them to fully engage and really buy into the messages being delivered.

The Benefits of Data Protection Training

 

There are many benefits in providing regular Data Protection training to your employees.  Not least, the cost of training is a fraction of the costs your organisation might incur through possible fines, enforcement penalties and damage to reputation in the unfortunate event of a data breach.

 

Benefits For the organisation

  • Demonstrates a company’s commitment to Accountability, one of the key data protection principles.
  • Demonstrates compliance to the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 and best practice for businesses who process or collect personal data – it is a requirement to provide appropriate data protection awareness training to relevant employees
  • Provides assurance to the senior management team and key stakeholders that all employees have been appropriately trained to understand their data protection responsibilities
  • Gives assurance to customers and clients that any employees handling personal data understand their responsibilities to keep this information secure and protected in accordance with data protection regulations
  • Reduces the risk of unauthorised disclosure or loss of personal data by employees
  • Can help mitigate enforcement action by the ICO in the event of a reportable data incident.

For the employee

  • Helps protect an employee by giving them a greater awareness and understanding of  the importance of data protection and their responsibility to protect the personal data they are party to
  • Empowers the employee to make informed choices and reduce the risk of getting anything wrong when it comes to processing personal data
  • Allows an employee to be more accountable and responsible for the personal data in their care
  • Increases awareness of common types of data security incidents and how best to avoid them
  • Provides an understanding of what they can and can’t do with other people’s personal data and
  • Provides a good understanding of the consequences and risks of personal data loss/theft
  • Equips an individual with tips and good practice to protect their personal data both at work and at home
  • Increases awareness of common scams and fraud attempts and ways to avoid them.

 

Data Protection Training

Data Protection training can be provided either online or onsite at your business premises or at a mutually agreed location close to your office.    

Training is broken down into short modules covering the following key topics

  • Personal Data and the law.
  • Password management – tips and good practice
  • Protecting personal data at work and on the go
  • Dealing with personal data requests over the telephone
  • Understanding the risks – examples of common scams, fraud and data breaches and how to avoid them
  • Dealing with Subject access requests
  • Data security incidents and data loss reporting

Some modules can be delivered in short interactive workshops.   All training can be customised to suit your business needs.

Get In touch

If you would like to discuss your training needs, please send an email to hello@percipientconsulting.co.uk