Businesses today often process huge volumes of personal data. Where you employ staff or engage contractors, it’s likely your teams will handle personal data —be it information about your customers, suppliers, or other individuals. Human error often leads to data breaches, which can cause serious legal and financial consequences for your business. As such, it is vital to prioritise data protection training.
Effective data protection training can help you prevent data breaches, ensure your business complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) rules, and safeguard your company from potential enforcement action. Our data protection & privacy law experts explore how data protection training can protect your business from risk.
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Why does data protection training matter for your business?
Training staff to understand data protection principles and the consequences of failing to comply with the rules is crucial for a number of reasons:
There are several ways data protection training can help protect your business, including:
- Building and demonstrating compliance with UK GDPR. Your team should know the basics of data protection law rules—such as what constitutes a data protection request and the deadlines for responding. When they understand key principles such as data minimisation and data retention, they can apply these in their daily work, which can help develop a culture of compliance throughout your organisation. The UK GDPR requires your business to both follow data protection laws but also demonstrate your compliance. A well-documented training program can be strong evidence of your compliance efforts. If a data breach occurs and the Information Commissioner’s Office investigates you, you can present detailed records of your staff training to show your compliance steps and this could help mitigate your potential penalties. Failing to provide these records could become an aggravating factor, which could mean harsher enforcement action against your business.
- Reducing human error and common mistakes. Data protection training can help prevent common mistakes that can lead to breaches. Since human error causes a significant number of data breaches, you need to train your staff to understand the importance of data protection law rules and preventing data breaches. Training can help reduce the risk of errors that could lead to breaches. For example, your staff can learn to double-check recipients before sending emails, avoid opening unfamiliar links or attachments, and recognise common but risky phishing attempts. Addressing these specific risks can help reduce the chances of a costly error occurring.
- Building confidence in your staff. You should ensure your team feels confident and capable when handling personal data. Effective training can help give them the knowledge to manage personal data correctly, which can generally help your business commercially. For example, staff with better knowledge can help better address customer or consumer questions about how your organisation handles personal data.
Some members of staff may struggle with complex points of compliance. For instance, those handling data breach reporting or subject access requests. Those individuals will strongly benefit from comprehensive training, so they are better placed to handle their obligations correctly.
How should you design your data protection training programme?
Training staff isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach for every business. In fact, you should tailor your data protection training programme to meet your business’s specific needs.
You can consider the following key issues when designing a training programme:
- Tailor your training. Think about the size of your business, the type of personal data you handle and how sensitive it is. Consider the specific roles of different teams within your organisation and how personal data impacts them. For example, employees in HR processing staff data might need different training compared to those in marketing who handle client data. Customising your training based on roles ensures that each team understands the specific data protection challenges they face.
- Make your training engaging: To ensure your staff retain the information, you should try to make the training as engaging as possible. For instance, you can use interactive methods like case studies, Q&A sessions, and e-learning courses. These tools can make the material more interesting and help embed the knowledge in your teams. Delivering training isn’t enough however - you also need to check that your staff understands it. Regular quizzes or assessments help gauge their knowledge, and you should keep records of these tests as proof of your commitment to compliance.
- Make sure your training covers all bases: Of course, it’ll need to cover key basic issues such as what personal data is and rules for processing it. However, depending on your business, you may need to touch on various extra compliance issues – such as how to handle special category data or run DPIAs where relevant. Also, remember to roll out training not just to employees but also contractors or freelancers who will process personal data in their roles.
- Provide a clear point of contact for staff queries on data protection issues: You can assign someone in your organisation, such as your Data Protection Officer, to be the go-to person for any questions or concerns about data protection. Your staff should feel supported and know exactly who to turn to when they need guidance.
- Keep your training materials up to date: Data protection laws and business processes change over time. You should make sure you regularly update your training materials to reflect these changes so standards don’t slip. You can also keep data protection front of mind with regular email updates, team briefings, and visual reminders like posters for staff.
How often should you conduct data protection training?
Regular training is key for both building but also maintaining compliance. The amount you need to run depends on your business and its activities.
You should include data protection in your induction training for new staff, especially for those handling sensitive or high volumes of personal data. Providing this training as soon as they start ensures they understand their responsibilities from day one.
Many organisations conduct training at least annually, and more frequently if there are significant changes in the law or an organisation’s data processing activities. High-risk organisations or those undergoing major changes might require more frequent sessions to keep everyone up to date – for instance quarterly.
Investing in data protection training
We understand that engaging your team in data protection training can be challenging, especially when the subject matter might feel dry or too technical. Investing in effective data protection training is a valuable tool for your business and safeguarding it from risk.
We can provide tailored training programmes focused on your business’s specific needs, whether you’re a small company or a large organisation handling high-risk data. The aim is to ensure your staff gain a practical understanding of how data privacy applies to their everyday work.
Our data protection team work closely with you, particularly your Data Protection Officer if you have one, to develop training which is proportionate to your compliance requirements and addresses the specific challenges you’re likely to encounter.
