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Home // More guidance on Data Protection law for SMEs

Covid19 has hit businesses in all sectors hard. One report suggests UK SMEs have felt the greatest impact with 68% having had their cash flow affected negatively and a quarter of businesses unable to meet payroll demand. Against this backdrop compliance with GDPR and related data protection laws might not be at the top of every business owner’s agenda. But ensuring you have the right data protection protocols in place to avoid falling foul of GDPR still matters. Taking your eye off the ball can lead to ICO scrutiny, huge fines and reputational damage. At Nath Solicitors we provide a comprehensive data protection advice service, including bespoke data protection audits. We continually monitor advice and guidance from the ICO to ensure our data protection advice is up to date. Here we look at recent information the ICO has provided for SMEs.

Making Data Compliance Easier For Small Businesses

A conference in May 2021 for those working across data protection law highlighted that personal data is vital to the success of small and medium-sized businesses. Covid19 has presented unique challenges but data held by SMEs must still be handled appropriately and responsibly. Recognising that data compliance is onerous particularly for businesses with limited resources the ICO unveiled its SME hub in 2019 aimed at breaking down some of the complexities of data protection law and giving small businesses advice tailored to their needs.

What Is the SME Hub For Data Protection Compliance?

Below we summarise the contents of the SME hub. It’s a resource that we would encourage all of our clients to take advantage of as a staring point for data protection compliance. The hub covers key issues such as:

  • The importance of data protection law – outlining the need to protect the data you hold and how to prevent it falling into the wrong hands and causing harm to individuals
  • Key tips for compliance – the ICO emphasises that there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to data protection. It’s up to you – with help from your data protection solicitor if necessary – to decide on how you can best meet the requirements of GDR and related legislation
  • The data protection terms you need to know to fully understand the data protection regime as it applies to your business
  • What to do if your business breaches data protection law
  • How to fix common data protection mistakes – what to do for example if someone sends an email to the wrong person or how to ensure you reduce the data you hold (data minimisation)
  • How to deal with subject access requests (SARs)
  • How to reduce the potential for data breaches within your organisation, including staff training to reduce human error when handling personal data

Contact Us

The ICO’s hub for SMEs is a valuable tool and should be used alongside bespoke advice from your data protection lawyer. It might seem that a sole trader or small business doesn’t need to pay too much attention to GDPR rules compared to a multinational company. And while the ICO recommends a proportionate approach to data compliance, the effect of a breach on individual sin terms of harm could have the same repercussions whether it emanates from a small or large company. For more information on how we can help your business with data protection issues contact our director Shubha Nath at Nath Solicitors on 44 (0) 203 983 8278 or contact the firm online.

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