Demystifying the common GDPR Myths

Published on: 23 October 2018 Last Updated on: 15 November 2021

As one of the most common discussions around the internet today, data protection has seen huge changes in 2018. Indeed, the introduction of the European Union’ General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) program is making companies finally face up to their corporate responsibilities. While this has been more than a long time coming, it has not been dealt with well for the most part in the recent decades.

This step from the EU is a merciful way to help make the regulation change as soon as possible. However, like all major regulatory changes, some half-truths and full-blown myths have emerged. What are some of the common tall tales told about GDPR that you need to look out for?

1. GDPR is just a mechanism to fine companies!

Absolute hogwash, to put it bluntly. GDPR is a mechanism to send data protection back to the people who the data actually is about, not the company. A company can be fined as much as £17m, or 4% of their annual turnover, by the GDPR. However, this isn’t some committee looking to pay for their holidays and Christmas party: this is here to stop citizens being ripped off any longer by companies.

2. GDPR fines are handed out without warning

We don’t know where these kinds of ideas come from, but it’s just not true in any capacity at all. fines in GDPR will be proportionate to the issue at hand: a small company with a GDPR breach will be fined a reasonable amount. Also, you are given two – almost three – warnings about GDPR compliance failure.

You won’t just find a team of armed guards in EU flags turning up, don’t worry!

3.GDPR came from nowhere

For years, GDPR was reported on and discussed at length. It was not a surprise. Companies were given the best part of a full calendar year to get their systems into spec before the May 2018 roll-out.

Companies that missed the GDPR call-out would simply have not been paying attention to data protection policy changes. This was not a surprise for anyone who followed the industry. If you were a business that did not see GDPR coming, then we recommend that you spend some more time looking at European law changes: this was not a surprise!

4. GDPR is constraining businesses

Again, not true – GDPR merely makes businesses take responsibility for the data that they have. GDPR is making it harder for consent to be presumed, and instead, it has to be clearly provided. The days of pre-ticked boxes for consent are gone. It’s also going to be much easier for people to withdraw their consent if they so choose.

This is not constraining businesses, it’s merely making a part of the web that was thoroughly amateur in its people protection a bit more stringent in the way that you think and acts like a business.

5. GDPR was not necessary

This is also quite untrue: GDPR was absolutely necessary. It’s simply putting in place a foundational program that reinforces key terms such as the Data Protection Act, and also makes companies more likely to care for the data they hold instead of using it recklessly.

This myth, that GDPR is not necessary and was just added in to add more ‘red tape’ is not the case at all. All of the data breach stories of the recent years would have been almost impossible under GDPR: in a bid to give people back power over their own data, GDPR was essential.

GDPR compliance is a fixed process

This has been around for some time and is not the case at all. While it may have rolled out in 2018, the EU is fully aware that getting ready for it will take some time and effort. While the two years to get ready was more than enough, with ICO regulation kicking in as of May ’18, there is going to be change to it as time goes on.

This is not like the Y2K bug; out of all the painful misconceptions about GDPR, this may be among the worst. You might not like the need to be more specific with data regulation, but GDPR is a good thing – the myths make it sound like the end of the world. All it is, in reality, is an end to lawlessness in data protection and regulation.

Final Take Away

Hence, these are some of the crucial facts that you have to take care of while you want to improve your business in the correct order at the correct point in time. Do not make your choices in grey while you want to develop your current business in the right direction.

Read Also:

Content Rally

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

How To Find A Locksmith To Trust With Your Home Security, Locks & Keys

Professionally skilled personnel exclusively in terms of lock and key repair is known as a locksmith, who might also work as a forensic locksmith and can unbolt locked or jammed car doors, or can program it to the car’s mainframe computer to gain access. They have the potentiality to perceive, execute, troubleshoot and maintain pre define key systems and also both mechanical locking and electronic smart cards. The locksmiths support in making key duplication, lock installation, key extraction and also ensure proper care in the maintenance of equipment. So, for seeking professional assistance from certified locksmiths, you can check out https://ilocksecurity.com.au/ Points on how to avoid fraudulent Locksmiths so that they can’t barge into homes or cars in any near: 1. Research before Hiring a Locksmith: Searching in advance with the help of the Internet even before calling up a particular locksmith company is even more convenient, isn’t it? The Internet serves you with a plethora of options to choose in between locksmiths’ firms, so it is better to consult with some professionals. Finding out the registration and local address is easier on the Internet than getting spammed by some local fake companies. 2. Ask for Identification: When Locksmiths reach their destination, they must produce authenticate identification cards and licenses. Most countries consider practicing the work of locksmith or running a locksmith agency firm without a proper license as a crime. 3. Locksmiths Must Show up in Unmarked Cars: Originals locksmith business firms will recruit their technicians with marked vehicles with company logos, contact numbers and brand-name on it. Customers must not let locksmiths work if they fail to present in such manner, as they are majorly inexperienced, poorly equipped, and workers with no license who might damage the locks. 4. Inquire about Cost Estimate and Additional Charges: Before agreeing to perform the work, customers must demand a written statement of the charges, which includes the emergency service charges if any. No additional charges are imposed should be checked. Scammers might create a hoax by claiming the locks should be replaced as they are obsolete. 5. Beware of Locksmiths who talk about Price before the Work Starts: They ask for cash even before starting to perform their work. They will never let transactions happen through credit cards as that will make it easy to trace them; they will urge you to pay in cash and debit cards. 6. Locksmiths who answer the Phone without mentioning the Company name are suspicious: By implementing the usage of erroneous business names, addresses, unregistered locksmith firms can fool their consumers. Be sure that while calling a company, they pick up the call with a proper business name rather than merely saying “locksmith services”, these are often fraudulent or unregistered services. 7. Locksmiths who want to Drill your Lock: There have been cases in which locks were drilled as they couldn’t be unlocked because those locks were mostly high-security locks. So, when a locksmith forces a lock to be replaced and drilled by a few minutes’ investigations, he may be a fraudulent locksmith. In most cases, high-skilled workers carry tools to unlock any kind of door. Drilling locks would end up claiming huge bucks from your wallet, and instead, they would fit some low-quality locks. Conclusion: This article highlights the various tips to survive from the market of corruption as locksmith scamming has become a huge growing trend in today’s scenario. Besides the above-stated suggestion, always keep in mind, that, never leave any stranger locksmiths alone to work. Hopefully, this article was helpful enough to make you aware of the precautions to be taken before hiring a locksmith. Read Also: 5 Tips To Safeguard Your Home From Intruders Top 10 Effective Tips To Keep Your Home Safe Dutch Locksmithing Company Reveals How To Get Best Prices

How To Choose The Best Locksmith For All Your Needs In 5 Easy Steps

With so many things going on in our lives, getting locked out of our car, home or office has now become a routine affair. With the lock mechanisms getting advanced to keep out the bad elements, you would need the Best Locksmith to help you. You need to understand that choosing the right locksmith can be something very important for you and your personal possessions. Getting the right one, and you will be able to not only unlock the problem at hand but sleep peacefully knowing you will never be wronged. Choosing the wrong one means that you can fall victim to an incident of robbery or burglary in the near future. Which is why it's important to make sure a locksmith service is reliable to avoid scams. In this article, we are going to help individuals and families select the Best Locksmith for their needs in five easy steps. List of 5 Easy Steps to help choose the Best Locksmith for your needs Step 1- Referrals, Research, and Planning: The first thing you need to do is to draw up a list of locksmiths in your area. A good starting point can be asking your friends and family members for referrals. Unlike other areas where referrals from near and dear ones are not useful, in the case of a locksmith they can be. You can start with a list of the five choices and then cross-check them on the internet. Go to their websites, look at their GMB pages, and see for yourself whether they will be able to help you with the problem at hand. Step 2: Decide on the Exact Nature of your Problem: What do you need the locksmith for? Is it to help you get access to your car, or to overturn a faulty internet smart locking solution? Deciding on the nature of your problem can help you further fine-tune your list of shortlisted locksmiths. Depending on your exact need and requirement, you can interview locksmiths who are most experienced at offering those solutions. Someone who specializes in car locks might not be the best answer to overturning a smart home, whose central locking has been tampered with. Step 3- Always go for Local Businesses and Locksmiths: Almost all experts are of the opinion that when it comes to choosing a locksmith, local is the way to go. This is because a local locksmith will be working within a community. He or she will always want to maintain a credible and positive image of the business. In addition to the above, if you experience any issues in the future, you can always follow up with them if they are locally situated. If you are hiring someone from another city, it means you will never be able to get hold of them in the event something goes wrong. Step 4- Check for their years of Experience: A locksmith that has been in the business for ten years or more is safe, credible, and dependable, period! Most security experts are of the opinion that homeowners should always go for locksmiths, which have been practicing in the business for at least a decade. This is a great indicator of not only their level of skill and expertise but also reflects on how trustworthy and credible they are. While experience is something, which might not count in some industries and businesses, in the case of a locksmith, it does. Step 5- Official License and Government Credentials: Whether it is a locksmith, electrician, or plumber, they need to be certified and registered with the local government authorities. You should definitely ask for certifications and credentials before you proceed with hiring a locksmith. If you do not hire someone who has an official license to practice, he or she will be virtually untraceable in the event something goes wrong. Criminal elements usually give excuses that ‘I have to seek a renewal’ or ‘take an exam’ to answer a request for showing credentials. However, you should not fall prey to these strategies. The Final Word It is important that you get a quotation for the exact nature of the costs well before the work commences. Many say that individuals and families can also request their insurance providers to help them with a list of government-certified and recognized locksmiths in the area. If you want to call a locksmith on the central coast, make sure that you follow all the steps mentioned in the article to help you with the selection process. Read Also: Should you Replace or Rekey Locks? — What Locksmith Richmond says Dutch Locksmithing Company Reveals How to Get Best Prices

Cybersecurity Threats In Asset Tracking And Strategies To Mitigate

The security implications of an expanding sprawl of devices, software, SaaS applications, users, and cloud services are important. However, poor cybersecurity creates a critical risk for the overall business. Chief among them is a higher risk of business disruptions. A breach might make essential data or systems unavailable, preventing the business from functioning. Therefore, the rate of change makes the manual work of managing, finding, and securing all these assets not tedious but error-prone and wasteful of valuable resources. To mitigate cybersecurity threats, business firms must adopt strategies to resolve the breach issue. This article will emphasize cybersecurity threats faced in asset tracking and strategies that will help resolve the issues. Common Cybersecurity Threats In Asset Tracking Below-mentioned are common cybersecurity threats in asset tracking. 1. CEO Fraud CEO fraud and business email compromise (BEC) pose significant challenges to asset tracking for business owners. Therefore, this type of cyberattack can lead to financial losses and disruption of operations. Similarly, it occurs when an attacker impersonates a high-ranking executive, typically through email, to trick employees into transferring money or confidential information. Furthermore, asset tracking could mean convincing your business to approve a large purchase. It might also be a transfer that diverts funds intended for legitimate tracking systems or physical assets. This threat might cause your business to lose money. This can result in inventory discrepancies, misallocation of resources, and difficulties in auditing. 2. Ransomware Ransomware significantly threatens asset tracking systems, impacting businesses across various industries. These systems often rely on connected devices and networks to monitor and manage assets, making them prone to cyberattacks. Sensitive asset information, such as ownership, location, and financial details, can be compromised. If cybercriminals steal this data alongside encryption, they may leverage it for further extortion or sell it on the dark web. So, when a ransomware attack occurs, a malicious breach can encrypt critical data related to asset tracking. This can lead to: Disruptions in operations. Loss of visibility over inventory. Need to work on managing assets effectively. However, you may find your business still looking for items. This often leads to delays in production or logistics, which can ultimately affect the firm's goodwill. 3. Payment Fraud Payment fraud poses a significant threat to asset tracking systems, as it can undermine the precision and reliability of financial transfers related to asset management. Fraudulent activities, such as chargebacks or using stolen payment information, can lead to financial losses and disruption in inventory control. So, when payments are initiated deceptively, assets may be acquired without legal transactions, complicating the tracking of ownership and inventory levels. Furthermore, asset tracking systems rely on data integrity to function effectively. If fraud is present, it can lead to discrepancies in reported data, making it challenging to assess the actual status of assets. 4. Data Breaches Due to its cloud-based nature, Access Control as a Service (ACaaS) can indeed experience data breaches. When access control systems are hosted in the cloud, they may face various security challenges, such as: Unauthorized access. Data interception. Potential misconfigurations. One of the primary risks is the reliance on internet connectivity, which can expose sensitive data to interception during transmission. Moreover, user authentication is important. Weak passwords or insufficient multifactor authentication can allow unauthorized users to gain access to the system. Compliance and ensuring that data is handled according to regulations also pose risks, especially if the service provider stores data across different regions. 5. Automated Methods Criminals often leverage automated methods to launch large-scale attacks on various businesses, using customized malware to ruin specific susceptibilities. Similarly, this approach will permit the ransoms to efficiently target multiple systems simultaneously. It will further increase your business's chance of success while reducing the time and effort required for each attack. On the other hand, automated tools also enable attackers to refine their techniques continuously based on real-time feedback. This is because as the tools gather data from previous attacks, they can adjust their malware to improve its effectiveness against specific targets. It is even more challenging for organizations to defend against such threats. Strategies To Mitigate Cybersecurity Risk Below-mentioned are strategies to resolve cybersecurity risks faced within the business. 1. Conduct Risk Assessment Perform a cybersecurity risk assessment to identify the issues your business faces or might face in the coming years. Similarly, the risk assessment results will anticipate your organization’s readiness to respond to security events and uncover your infrastructure’s vulnerabilities to common attacks, such as malware, ransomware, brute-force attacks, and more. Install asset tracking software in your business to conduct risk assessments efficiently. This will help you track location, save fleet costs, and improve asset management. In addition, you can also include the following steps: List down all physical and digital assets and their potential threats. Create a risk register listing risks and mitigate steps. Analyze each threat's likelihood and impact on the organization. 2. Continuous Monitoring When prioritizing vulnerabilities based on the challenges to business assets, it is essential to evaluate both the likelihood of exploitation and the potential impact on the organization. Here is a structured approach to help with this task: Identify assets. Determine potential impacts. Analyze the likelihood of each vulnerability being exploited. Use a risk scoring system to combine impact and probability into a single score. For high-priority vulnerabilities, devise appropriate remediation plans. 3. Include Asset Lifecycle Management To successfully manage each asset throughout its lifecycle, it is vital to incorporate a structured approach that includes the following critical practices: Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all assets, including hardware, software, and licenses. Establish a schedule for routine updates to ensure that all assets are running the latest software versions. Implement a patch management strategy to check for and apply security patches regularly. Use monitoring tools to track asset performance and health. By incorporating these practices, you can ensure that each asset is effectively managed, enhancing security, performance, and longevity throughout its lifecycle. Wrapping Up Thus, asset-tracking software can be implemented within the business for multiple uses. The business needs to identify, address, and assess the security risk posed by devices and assets of all types. However, it is best to create essential security awareness for the staff to assist them in spotting warning signs and trigger alerts. The systematic monitoring of security log files can give the security team early warnings of possible attacks. Read Also: The Importance Of Cybersecurity In The Digital Age Everything You Need To Know About PKI In Cybersecurity Top 10 Cybersecurity Features That Are A Must-Have In An Ecommerce Store

Demystifying the common GDPR Myths

1. GDPR is just a mechanism to fine companies!