Digital Transformation Of Social Housing – Top Five Trends

It is necessary for every business in every industry to adapt and change their business model to accommodate their customer’s changing behaviours and expectations, and housing associations are no exception. Digital technology is not only about conversions, transactions and growing revenue; it is vital for streamlining processes, optimisation and improving the customer experience.

As digital technologies take the world by storm, embracing these is vital for a housing association to grow and thrive. Some have already begun to tackle this challenge by transforming their IT infrastructures to keep up the high demands of today’s digital world.

Social housing is a rapidly changing industry with many housing associations struggling because of funding cuts, rent freezes and reduced investments. When it comes digitalisation, the social housing sector is not as far advanced as other industries, with many housing associations sceptical of investing in a digital transformation or not having the budget to do so.

However, this is slowly beginning to change as more and more housing associations are starting to see the benefits of going digital. Here are the top five trends we expect to see a rise with the digital transformation of social housing:

Five Digital Trends For Social Housing

 

1. A Remote Workforce

With the rise of cloud technologies, it is now possible for housing association teams to work remotely, allowing them to focus their time and energy on being out among their tenants. Having a digitally enabled and mobile workforce reduces the need for physical office locations within neighbourhoods.

Remote working allows workers to be more connected with those that need help the most. Less time will be spent on the mundane transactions, and more focus can be made on what really matters; enabling the organisation to become more human with greater face to face interactions.

2. Online Processes

Embracing advances in technology can reduce the amount of paperwork and manual processes required. Customer applications can be moved online which will not only provide a seamless and easy experience for customers but also reduce costs and response times compared with manual, offline applications.

Removing paperwork will free up resources for employees to focus their time and effort on other areas of the business. Moving transaction processes online also offers excellent cost savings for housing associations, with online payments being 20 times cheaper than phone transactions and an incredible 50 times cheaper than face to face.

3. Better Connected

The Internet of Things (IoT), connected devices and smart metres offer a great opportunity for housing associations to diversify their offerings. Embracing these innovative technologies within social housing can detect how people are using their accommodation and allow providers to alter services, such as heating, in real-time.

When used effectively, this technology can help housing associations to anticipate and handle issues faster, as well as be more proactive and strategic in commissioning repairs or replacements quicker in order to minimise costs and disruption.

4. Enhanced Customer Service

One of the most significant benefits that digitalisation has in the social housing sector is that customers will receive a better all-round service. Advice and help can be made available 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the help of a knowledge base and online account information that is always accessible.

The digital transformation of the housing industry will allow most actions to be completed online, meaning customers have no restrictions on when they can resolve their issues or speak with the correct department. Housing association workers will also be able to provide a better service to customers by spending more time out in their neighbourhoods offering a face to face service as opposed to stuck behind their computer screens.

5. Data Analysis and Record Keeping

In a world of GDPR, there are some real benefits to those within the social housing sector making a move to keep all customer data and records online as opposed to offline. A well planned online infrastructure can provide greater security for keeping online records safe and secure.

Utilising digital technologies for customer data is also an excellent opportunity for better data analysis and upkeep. Maintaining customer records online allows them to access and edit them as required, providing housing associations with current information that is easy and simple to manage.

How to embrace these digital trends

Embracing the digital transformation of social housing will bring significant efficiencies, financial stability and customer engagement. Currently, the social housing sector is being squeezed by reduced investments, funding cuts and rent freezes. At the same time, there is a growing demand from increasingly vulnerable and diverse citizens. Those housing associations that want to thrive rather than simply survive should be utilising and embracing digital solutions to transform their organisation for the better.

To help your housing organisation transform, speak to our IT specialists at Cyan Solutions. We can help your team to implement a digital strategy that can cut costs and increase the service experience.

Top 5 Ways To Avoid Phishing Emails

Five top ways to prevent phishing attacks

Cyber attacks are on the increase, and it is vital to protect yourself and your business against the rising security threats. For most companies, the employees are the weakest security link, leaving the company open to potential attacks and breaches. Over 90% of cyber attacks start with a phishing email, and recent studies suggest that the fastest growing security threat to businesses is no longer malware but impersonation email attacks.

The reason employees are often the weakest link in your security is due to human error, and cyber attackers have learnt it is easier to trick someone into revealing secure information such as logins and passwords, rather than trying to exploit a secure system. The number of impersonation email attacks sent has increased by 50% quarter-over-quarter compared with malware and harmful files being sent rising by 15%. This means your business is seven times more likely to be subject to an impersonation email attack than a malware attack.

The figures are staggering, and even still there are thousands of companies out there who are not doing everything they can to protect themselves against phishing emails. The most common type of phishing emails is spear phishing; a highly targeted scam email that is sent to a business or individual. If the cybercriminal does enough research into an individual or business, spear phishing can be very effective, and research has shown that 97% of individuals can be tricked by a spear phishing email attack. Here are some of the top 5 ways to avoid phishing emails and protect your business.

Invest In Your Systems

One of the best ways to protect your business from phishing emails is to prevent them from getting through to your employees in the first place. There are many technological approaches to avoid phishing attacks, such as powerful filters and protection systems. Implementing a smart security system can help to identify phishing emails and block them from being received by your employees.

This is a great place to start when it comes to avoiding phishing emails, but even the best technology can’t detect every single phishing email. There will always be some that slip through the filters, so it is vital to have other precautions in place as well.

Educate Your Employees

As personnel are often the biggest downfall for a company’s security, it is essential that they are provided with appropriate training and knowledge to protect themselves against phishing emails. While many phishing emails are poorly written and easy to detect, there are often highly sophisticated attacks that are much more difficult to spot.

To properly protect your business against phishing emails you should develop an effective security education programme to raise awareness among staff of the growing cyber threats.

Go Phishing

One very effective method to identify the weak links in your security and determine where further training is required is to send phishing emails to your employees. Craft an email based on the kind of ones that your employees do receive and then measure for these main four metrics: clicking on the link, opening attachments, reporting the email and response time.

After the ‘attack’, discuss the results of the tests with your employees; it is usually best to keep results anonymous or break them down by department or team to avoid employees feeling like they are being individually called out. Your goal with this exercise should be to raise awareness and educate your employees, not to embarrass them.

Develop A Strict Protocol

Ensure you have a strict and well thought out protocol in place for phishing attacks. Encourage all employees to report all attacks or potential attacks immediately so that they can be dealt with effectively and quickly.

Make it clear that every employee can ask for help if they think they might have been a victim of a phishing email attack and be sure never to punish staff if they do get caught out; it will only discourage your employees from reporting the attacks in future. Once an attack has been reported, take steps to scan the affected devices for malware and change all passwords as soon as possible.

Review Your Digital Footprint

Cybercriminals will use information that is publicly available about your business and employees to make phishing emails more convincing. This information can be found on your website and social media accounts and is known as your digital footprint. Carefully consider what information is necessary for your website visitors and what could be used by potential attackers.

It is also vital to offer support and training to your employees on how to best manage their digital footprint; you should not expect them to remove themselves from the internet entirely but help them understand what information isn’t necessary to share.

Increase your phishing protection with Cyan Solutions

At Cyan Solutions we can develop robust IT security to reduce the risk and prevent cyber attacks. If you would like friendly advice on how to increase your IT security, talk to our experts now.

Myth-busting Cloud Technology

Five Top Cloud Technology Myths

Cloud computing has been growing in popularity in recent years. However, there are still some regular misconceptions about the platform and how it works. In simple terms, cloud technology refers to storing and accessing programs and data over the internet as opposed to using a computer’s hard drive.

With an online connection, cloud computing can be done at any time and from anywhere, which is just one of the reasons that it is so popular among businesses and individuals. For something that has become so mainstream in recent years, cloud computing is still not properly understood by many. This article will reveal the truth about cloud technology and most common myths associated with it.

The Cloud Isn’t Secure

Many people seem to believe that using cloud technology is less secure and safe than traditional IT solutions. In actual face, maintaining cybersecurity is all about staying ahead of the attackers, and this is the same whether you are using cloud technology or traditional solutions. The main difference when using cloud technology is that both you and your cloud provider have a shared responsibility for maintaining the security of data stored in the cloud.

As cloud providers are professionals in the field of cloud technology and security, they usually have the investment resources, experience and knowledge to maintain high-end security technology. When it comes to both security and compliance, a cloud provider can generally invest vast amounts of resources that far exceed what an independent business could realistically manage.

The Cloud and The Internet Are The Same

There is often confusion about what the cloud really means, and usually, we interpret saving something to the cloud as saving it to the internet, which is figuratively true, but the two things are not the same. Put simply; the cloud is a network of remote servers that can only be accessed using the internet. The internet is one huge global network of connections, and within it, there are hundreds of thousands of clouds.

Many people make the mistake of thinking there is one single cloud when in actual fact there are thousands of different clouds located on the internet. These various different clouds could be either public or private. A public cloud is a service that can be accessed by anyone from anywhere with their own individual account, such as Dropbox or iCloud. A private cloud is dedicated to one specific company and can only be accessed by those with access to that particular server.

Cloud Migration Is Difficult

Years ago, when the cloud was a relatively new technology, there were plenty of horror stories around from early adopters who moved their business onto cloud technologies. Just a few years ago, cloud technologies were still a relatively new thing, and the power of them was unproven, leaving enterprises to figure them out on their own with little guidance or help. This led to implementation nightmares and gave cloud technology a bad name.

The technologies have come on in leaps and bounds since then, and now implementing cloud technologies could not be easier. The technology has improved significantly in recent years, and there are experienced and knowledgeable professionals out there to assist businesses in implementation and training. If your current servers are outdated, then some cleaning and architecture revisions may be necessary to migrate to the cloud, but with the help of a professional, the migration process can be seamless.

Cloud Technology Is A Fad

Many people still have this common misconception that cloud computing is simply just another fad. Its fast rise in popularity makes some people believe that the cloud is just another marketing buzzword that will be soon forgotten, but this is not the case. Cloud technology has actually been around since the 1960s and has become increasingly popular in recent years as technologies have advanced and improved.

Hundreds of companies across all industries rely on cloud computing for their day-to-day. IT needs, making it far too big and popular to be regarded as a short-lived fad. Cloud computing is expected to continuing growing and advancing over the next few years and is showing no signs of slowing.

Cloud Technology Is Cheap

It is a common belief that cloud technology is a cheaper way to run a business than traditional methods, but this is not always the case. Moving a company’s systems and data to a cloud platform will reduce the need for expensive hardware and in-house servicing costs, but there is also a financial investment involved in migrating everything over.

While the initial cost of moving over to the cloud may be pricey, the ongoing management costs are generally low and make up for it in the long run. Cloud technology also provides a more significant amount of flexibility and scalability once the transition is complete, resulting in a better performing business.

At Cyan Solutions we are experts in working with our customers to smoothly transition them onto the right cloud platform, tailored to their needs. Contact us now to discuss how cloud technology could transform your business.

Essential Data Back-Up & Disaster Recovery Tips

Even the most careful and cautious business in the world is at risk of natural and human-made disasters that could bring down essential infrastructures and systems. No matter what industry you are in or what size your business is, a foolproof data back up and disaster recovery plan is vital to protecting your company and avoiding a crisis should the worst happen.

Getting back-ups correct is no easy task, and disaster recovery is even more difficult to implement effectively. Ever changing and growing technology such as cloud solutions adds yet another layer of complexity to IT systems and is just another aspect that needs a reliable back up plan. As well as this, strict data laws such as GDPR put even more pressure on companies to protect their customer’s data and avoid security breaches.

The terms data back-up and disaster recovery are often misunderstood and misused; it is essential to understand that having a back-up plan is different from having a disaster recovery strategy and that you may need both!

What is data back up?

A data back-up is a copy of your businesses data stored on another device in a different location to your originals. Often data back-ups are in the form of a separate drive or storage device within a data centre or stored in a completely different location to everything else.

In most cases, back-ups are created on a daily basis, so your back-up file is always up to date and relevant. Cloud technology provides an automatic and remote solution for creating daily back-ups. However, some businesses still operate with a physical drive that is backed up regularly by an individual.

These data back-ups give you the ability to restore your data back to the original source should anything go wrong. When running a business, it is essential to have a back-up plan in place to protect your data from the worst-case scenario. Creating a back-up plan requires deciding what needs to be backed up, how often it needs backing up and how long it should be kept for.

You will also need to consider how and where this data will be backed up. There is a range of back-up data solutions out there and to properly understand which is right for you and your business; you first need to understand your back-up requirements fully.

What is disaster recovery?

Disaster recovery is much more in-depth than a data back up and includes having a full plan and technical solution to keep your business running should a disaster strike. To establish an effective disaster recovery plan, you first need to identify which systems are required to keep your business functioning should an incident occur and how long your business can run with each various system being offline.

Disaster recovery solutions come in many different forms; some will automatically take over from the primary system if the connection is lost, while others involve restoring the system from back-ups.

Top tips to keep your business protected

Many businesses will require both a back-up data plan and disaster recovery strategy to protect themselves from a crisis adequately. There are a few best practices that every business should follow to ensure their data and systems are effectively protected in the event of a disaster:

Plan

The most important practice for any business is to make sure you have both a back-up data plan and a disaster recovery strategy in place to protect yourself. If your data doesn’t exist in at least two different places, then it might as well not exist at all; the same can be said for your systems and workloads. Computers and the data within them make up your organisation, and if you choose not to protect them properly you could end up with nothing.

Cloud

Use the cloud to make reliable and automated back-ups. Cloud-based back-ups will back up your data over the internet and can be restored from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. Data is stored off-site and often protected from physical natural disasters such as flooding or fires. Back-ups can be arranged to complete automatically in the background, meaning you don’t have to worry about remembering to do them on a weekly or monthly basis.

Organise

Organisation is key. For a functional and reliable back up, ensure your files are organised into a sensible system. This way you will easily be able to locate your lost data should the worst happen.

Audit

When it comes to establishing an effective disaster recovery strategy, start by reviewing the basics. Audit all your internal back-up plans and determine where the areas of weaknesses are. Even the best disaster recovery plan in the world can’t recover data that hasn’t been properly backed up.

Update

Keep your disaster recovery plan current. A disaster recovery plan cannot simply be set up and then left to its own devices until it is required, it needs to be maintained and updated as the business grows and evolves. It should always be at the forefront of your mind, and whenever a system or process within your business is changed, your disaster recovery plan needs to reflect that.

To review your back-up and disaster recovery strategy, get in touch with the experts at Cyan  – we are ready to help to ensure your success.

Using The Cloud For Your Disaster Recovery Strategy

One of the priorities for every IT department is to ensure there is a sufficient recovery strategy in place should a disaster happen. Small businesses can lose thousands of pounds for every hour that their IT system is down. The best way to limit the costs and the damage of IT failure is to prepare for the eventuality and ensure there is a backup plan ready.

With over 60% of businesses using cloud technology in some form or other for their infrastructure, it is clear that a cloud solution can significantly help with the day to day. However, the cloud can also help with secondary workflows that include backup and archiving to help with your disaster recovery strategy.

Traditional disaster recovery strategies for businesses are expensive and inefficient; they often require multiple solutions as well as labour and maintenance which can increase the costs dramatically. Cloud-based solutions already offer increased security for businesses, and with a cloud-based disaster recovery strategy, you have a secure, scalable disaster recovery strategy.

If you want greater agility and protection for your business, should the worst happen, then a cloud-based disaster recovery could be a cost-saving solution that will help your business to feel prepared for every eventuality.

The benefits of using the cloud for your disaster recovery strategy

Reduced manual backup

A cloud-based disaster recovery strategy will automate the backup process for you. This helps to free up time and resources needs for manual backup. This is particularly helpful for businesses with a small IT team who need to dedicate their time to strategic aspects of IT and the company as a whole.

Taking time to manually backup data means time is taken away from troubleshooting, improving systems and creating efficiencies. Instead, the manual backup will require reviewing archives, monitoring progress and ensuring there is sufficient space and storage for backup. All of these processes could be significantly reduced with an automated cloud solution.

Predictability

Using a cloud-based system for your backup helps to ensure predictability not only for automated backup but also for knowing your costs. Having a cloud system for your disaster recovery strategy typically comes with a set monthly fee which can help you when it comes to budgeting and ensures you know your costs beforehand.

Utilising another provider for your backup and disaster recovery strategy also frees up IT staff, as well as the cost of time and resources, to give you better reliability and assurance that backup is always taken care of through immediate automation.

Immediate backup

When it comes to internal backups, companies rarely check their systems to see if they can recover and restore all data should the worst happen. Many businesses will only complete a backup process at night which means retrieving all data in a situation is almost impossible.

Cloud-based solutions use a continuous backup method which means you’ll lose minimal data should a disaster strike. As the cloud automatically detects and transmits changes to files, there is no manual process involved, and you do not need to worry about when the backup takes place. All of the data restoration is taken care of for complete peace of mind.

Off-site

Even if your business has a robust data recovery and disaster management plan, if your equipment for backup is on the same site as the business then it may not help you at all. Should the workplace suffer from an unforeseen accident such as a flood, storm, burst pipe or fire, then your servers and backup systems are likely to suffer, and you will lose all of your data.

With a cloud-based solution, you have backup data in an external location. This means that should there be a problem in the workplace, your data will remain safe. As cloud backup occurs within minutes, you know that data is safely stored offsite from your organisation which gives peace of mind and can help to relieve any backup issues such as loss of revenue, lower productivity or negative customer feedback.

Security

As many customers who already take advantage of the cloud for their day to day running will know, a cloud-based system can give an organisation additional security. A cloud-based solution keeps data secure by being offsite and using data encryption; this means that only authorised users can access and decrypt the data.

Data encryption in the cloud is also applicable to backup and archived data which can significantly add to the security of the organisation which can help to reduce the risk of security breaches for organisations as well as providing peace of mind to customers.

Plan your disaster recovery strategy

When it comes to planning your disaster recovery strategy, it is essential to not only prepare for the worst but make sure there is always a robust system in place that works for your business. At Cyan, we can help to make sure you have a secure and effective disaster recovery plan in place using the cloud. If you want to protect your business and prepare for every eventuality, get in touch with our team of expert advisors.

Managing Security With Remote Workers

Remote working is increasing rapidly. Staff who are travelling for business, working at home or commuting still want access to the same information they can receive while in their workplace. The increase of remote working undeniably helps organisations as well as assisting remote workers to stay in the loop and be efficient.

With remote working, staff can be more productive, there is a contingency plan in place and data can be shared with ease. However, with the increase in remote working comes an increased risk of security breaches. Those who are accessing work data inappropriately could be breaching the security and confidentiality of the business. For the organisation, particularly with GDPR in place, it is essential to manage and bolster security systems, so that remote working does not leave your business vulnerable.

Why is managing remote working important?

With employees that are keen to access work information outside of the workplace shows a commitment and conscientiousness to your organisation. However, many employees do not realise the risk they pose to the security of your business.

Recent studies have shown that almost a quarter of employees would use free WiFi hotspots to access their work emails. As well as this, 28% of employees will email work documents to and from their personal email address. Many employees do not realise that unsecured connections such as WiFi hotspots can pose a significant threat to cybersecurity, with cybercriminals being able to access information on low-security connections.

Fortunately, there are several ways that organisations can reduce the risk and help to manage security with remote workers.

How you can manage security with remote workers

Strong passwords

Having a secure password can give protection from hackers and more peace of mind if a device is lost or stolen. Organisations can implement password requirements such as having a minimum number of characters as well as asking for multi-characters. Organisations can also ask employees to have different passwords for different systems as well as imposing a two-step log-in process.

Create public WiFi guidelines

It is not always feasible for remote workers to connect to trusted networks, particularly when travelling or staying in a hotel. However, you can create a cybersecurity policy which explains how to use public WiFi with the most care. It is wise to define what systems they can access and which they need to refrain from when using a potentially unsecured network.

Mobile device management

As well as securing mobile devices with passwords, it is also essential to help boost your security if laptops or mobiles are lost or stolen. Utilising mobile device management software or applications can help your business to track lost or stolen devices as well as implementing additional security to protect business assets on the device.

Use the cloud

Hosted cloud desktop providers will use data encryption technology to transport data throughout the company intranet. If employees log in to your system using a cloud-based virtual desktop, there will be added encryption for confidential information between the remote worker and the business. Providers of cloud-based hosted desktops will typically have a range of security certification for additional peace of mind.

Monitoring

Your business can take advantage of 24/7 monitoring of your security systems which can help to quickly identify a threat and help you to prevent or reduce the issue rapidly. 24/7 monitoring will also help your business with future security planning as you can start to uncover common problems that your business faces. Using monitoring to protect your network will include analysing all remote workers as well as all of the mobile devices in your organisation.

Training

Many employees do not receive robust cybersecurity training that includes remote working. Staff should regularly receive cybersecurity training that helps them to understand the risk and how specific actions such as using public WiFi and public computers can threaten security. Using monitoring alongside training can help you to enforce your cybersecurity policies and make it easier to focus the training on specific issues that threaten your business.

Email encryption

As emails are one of the most popular technologies for remote workers, one of easiest ways to improve your organisation’s security is by using email encryption applications. Investing in the management of corporate email and using the safest technologies for email is essential for many businesses who use email without even thinking about its vulnerabilities.

If you need help securing your IT for remote workers, call us today so we can help you plan and implement a robust cybersecurity strategy.

How to Make Sure Your Staff Don’t Breach Your Data Security

It may be the cyber attacks which make the headlines, but the most common breaches are the ones that occur internally in your organisation. In fact, around 90% of data breaches are caused by human error. Staff are often responsible for data breaches, from losing a memory stick to sending the wrong file or even emailing the wrong person.

With GDPR coming to effect very soon, many companies are focusing on the technical aspects of data encryption and systems analysis to ensure compliance. However, staff training and awareness is also essential to maintain data protection compliance and reduce the risk of a breach which could cause a hefty fine under the GDPR.

So, how can your organisation manage the biggest risk of data breaches?

Five top tips to ensure staff do not breach your data security

1. Have a GDPR staff meeting

It is vital that every member of staff understand what GDPR is and how they are directly affected as a result. Explaining the risks of a €20 million or 4% of your global annual turnover fine can help staff to understand how critical data compliance is. In this meeting, you can also explain your own policies and procedures regarding data compliance. If staff understand that data breaches can lead to dismissal and disciplinary action, it can help to highlight the importance of being data aware.

2. Create a personal information training checklist

A simple checklist that can be signed by the trainer and staff member can help to make sure that staff understand data from a personal point of view. It is also an easy addition to induction training to make sure every member of the team understands your data policy. The checklist can include aspects such as;

  • Knowledge of secure passwords
  • How to lock/logoff computers when away from their desk
  • Secure shredding policy
  • Visitor area restrictions and clearance policy
  • Personal information encryption
  • Back-up and storage of data
  • Clear desk policy
  • Not opening links, downloading unknown files or opening foreign USB sticks

3. Make training relatable

Instead of an off the shelf training course, a relevant training course that covers the activities of your business will be much more interesting and engage your employees. GDPR and data protection can affect organisations in different ways. By understanding your specific risks and activities, you can make sure the training applies to the situations that your staff face.

As well as making the training bespoke to your business, it is well worth opening discussion after training to make sure employees have the chance to ask questions for any aspects they do not understand and raise ideas that can help your business from their perspective. After all, there may have been a vital process that could have been missed.

4. Create an information request policy

Frontline staff may come into contact with customers requesting knowledge of the personal information that you hold about them. As part of GDPR, individuals have the right to know what personal information that your business owns. Your staff will need to be aware how to handle an access request and ensure that no data breaches take place by fraud.

Staff will need to know that there is a maximum £10 fee for requesting information and that your team needs to respond within 40 days to any customer information request. This means that communication must be checked regularly and processed with appropriate urgency.

An essential aspect of the information request policy is when other people’s information is contained within the response given to a customer. This is a common area where a data breach can occur.

5. Keep staff aware

Data compliance is not a one-off training event; your organisation will always need to keep data compliance at the forefront of their work actions. Using incentive, games and rewards, you can help to keep GDPR and data protection relevant and prominent in the workplace.

From e-learning, customised training and checklists, you have a wealth of tools to help highlight the importance of data compliance at regular intervals. Make sure training and catch up sessions are routine and if you make any modifications to your data policy, keep the team informed and use techniques to ensure your new processes are fully understood.

It may be worth conducting mystery shopping and random testing to make sure all your staff are fully compliant, while incentives can ensure they remain enthusiastic and keen to comply.

Discover more top tips from Cyan Solutions

If you need any help in securing your company and reducing the threat of data breaches, then Cyan Solutions can help. At Cyan Solutions, our IT experts can help to assess all the internal threats that your business faces. Furthermore, we can use our experience and expertise to give you our top tips to ensure your staff are ready and prepared for data compliance changes and GDPR.

 

Checklist For GDPR Compliance – Are You Ready?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires compliance. It accounts for all the data protection responsibilities that your organisation needs to consider. It is essential to consider all aspects of the GDPR and be able to understand your role in it. It will impact those who are controllers of data and those who are processors of data. Here is a vital GDRP checklist to help understand the compliance needed for customers or prospects.

Your GDPR checklist

1. Conduct a data audit

It is important to be fully aware of the way data is used in and around your business. Information audits are a way of gaining in-depth knowledge about data, and how you can identify risks. The risks may include; how, how long, and where information is held or transferred. It can also categorise the data and determine any sensitive information. Think of it like producing a map of data flows and highlighting strengths and weaknesses that help your business.

2. Keep a record

Keeping a record of the data is crucial. There needs to be well-maintained reports detailing processing activities. This will allow GDPR compliance to be managed efficiently. Completing an Information Asset Register is wise. This details the assets, what they do, locations, owners, access, retention, and other aspects of data protection.

3. Understand the law

Be aware of the lawful basis of the personal data that you process. The majority of the legal basis for processing data requires the process to be deemed necessary. If you can achieve the job without processing the data, then it is not considered a necessity. If the purpose of handling the data changes, make sure this complies with the regulation.

4. Ensure consent

Make sure you know the consent process, and how you request permission. Consent is vital as it is a legal requirement. The permission for data needs to be obvious, clear, and in a place that is apart from your terms and conditions. Consent must be via an affirmative opt-in method, and easy to understand. The individuals whose data you are handling need to know precisely what will happen to it and that withdrawal is allowed at any time.

5. Make withdrawing records easy

Keep records of consent helps to meet high GDPR standards. Records will often have to include how you obtain consent, and when. As well as this, organisations should implement regular reviews of approval to make sure it is still appropriate. It should be easy to withdraw consent, and you should act on withdrawals promptly. No one should feel as though he or she cannot remove consent.

6. Show your commitment to privacy

Privacy notices should be prominent, and readily available. This allows the individual whose information is being controlled to know who has their data, why, and what will happen to it. Privacy notices need to be in a language any individual can understand, and in a place that is easily accessible.

The responses to queries about data protection need to be met quickly and have a procedure to deal with it in motion. It is recommended to have timescales for responses, and training for staff to be able to manage responses and meet the needs of the data owner.

7. Data disposal

Allow for a method of removal and deletion. Make sure that there is a process in motion for the elimination of information when the time for retaining the records is over. It is helpful to set up a procedure for information deletion requests, and those who will assist in the disposal of the data. The contract must include measures for this.

8. Review your policy

Your business must hold, monitor and review a thorough data protection policy. This will allow for security maintenance, and whether the policy is being implemented efficiently. The plan needs to be managed, published, and distributed to all of its staff. It will need to be reviewed to make sure it is still relevant and is still an effective policy.

9. Perform a DPIA

As well as your policy, you should review your data collection and storage. This will identify ways of reducing the amount of data that needs collecting and processing. This may also include a review of how the process takes place, and if any features of the process need to be updated, or anything that requires further analysis. Performing a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) will help minimise the privacy risks that could you could avoid during processing unnecessary information. Hefty fines can be a result of a poorly conducted DPIA.

10. Appoint a DPO

Assign a Data Protection Officer (DPO), and train staff in the necessary aspects of the GDPR. The DPO will have to have communication with the businesses Information Commission Officer (ICO). This individual will be responsible for the designation of data protection accountability.

Awareness of information security must be upheld at all times, with careful consideration of all aspects of risk. This will include issues such as data sharing abroad, such as in and around the European Economic Area. Not only this but reviewing and managing the security within the technology itself.

Get your checklist ticked

If your business needs support with getting GDPR off the ground, then speak to the experts at Cyan Solutions who can help to prepare your business and help you to achieve GDPR compliance. For friendly, professional advice, get in touch with the team today.

How internet of things is shaping the workplace of the future

Internet of things, or IoT, is one of the most prominent technologies in recent and emerging products by tech giants. Projections show that it could be worth in excess of hundreds of billions of dollars in the near future. But with all that data flying around in the cloud, just how is Internet of Things going to shape the workplace of the future?

IoT is going to have a big impact on how the day-to-day running of businesses up and down the country in the future. We need only look at the popularity of products that harness IoT in the home to realise that it is here to stay. And in this century, things that stay don’t just stay – they grow.

Both Google Home and Amazon Echo, the two main competitors in the AI-powered home voice-assistant market, have gained considerable traction throughout 2016 and 17. But if we look even further back we can see the beginnings of the IoT takeover way before that. Cloud-based technology offered an attractive way for businesses to back up and access data with speed and efficiency. Now IoT offers data on a herculean scale.

So just how will Internet of Things shape the workplace of the future?

Remote working

Working outside of a traditional office has seen a huge increase over the past couple of years. It is an attractive way for workers to conduct their tasks autonomously. Now IoT is making remote working a plausible option for businesses and industries that would never have thought them possible. Intelligent networking solutions could allow employees to connect to central databases and technologies in the office/factory floor from as far away as possible.

Efficiency and productivity

IoT developments are always made with the goal of improving productivity and enabling growth. A great deal of these technologies will improve workplace efficiency and productivity by allowing easy access to data and enabling quick and intelligent analysis. These also empower management to understand their workforce in detail and make smart choices in order to make operations more easily scalable.

Data-powered… pretty much everything

Possibly the biggest way IoT will effect the workplace surrounds data. Data-powered advertising and marketing is already a must, enabling smart connections between businesses and consumers. The access to valuable data that IoT provides will enable businesses to better understand their customers and take advantage of that knowledge.

Administration empowered

Administrative tasks will be able to be undertaken with a far greater level of ease, due to intelligent database designs. Companies will be able to keep track of their inventory at a molecular level, tracking the products from materials through manufacturing all the way to the point of sale. This frees up staff for more important tasks and allowing a higher production rate.