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isology® is a world-leading proven step by step roadmap to achieve ISO certification.

Implemented for over 600 organisations with a 100% success rate, we take you from the planning and creation of your bespoke ISO System though to certification with our 7 step process.

Step 1 – Conduct a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)

Why?

Enables you to identify all the processes/activities that involve personal data and demonstrates to the ICO that you have carefully considered personal data within your business.

 How?

Complete a PIA for each information stream in your business, we have a host of template documents to help you and your business comply, contact us for further information.

Step 2 – Data Protection Policy Statement

Why?

This policy is your commitment/statement of intent as an organization to Data protection

How?

If you don’t have a DPS you will need one, then you need to consider if it needs to be publicly available or internal only. You should send it to new and prospective clients and share with suppliers.

Step 3Data Retention Policy & Data Retention Schedule

Purpose:

Data Retention Policy – This is required to support the creation, retrieval, proper storage and preservation of essential personal data records, and to enable identification and destruction of information where there is no continuing business, legal or historical significance.

Schedule – This schedule defines the different types of records typically found in businesses.  It may not capture all the personal data/records that you may have in your company.  Where any are missing, you need to add these to the ‘Other’ tab within the document.   The schedule defines any legal retention requirements/ guidance on best practice from the ICO.

Action: Make the Policy and schedule available to staff.

Step 4 – Privacy Policy Template

Why?

In the interest of transparency (a GDPR principle requirement), you are required to provide privacy information to data subjects when you are collecting their personal data.  Typically you will find a Privacy policy is put onto the website (as generally this is where you may have data capture forms).

How?

Have a look at what you have got already in your Privacy Policy and if it needs updating within the section related to Legal Basis for processing (as per the PIA/Data Matrix outputs) as not all may apply.

  • Display it in an ‘easy to digest’ format on your website. i.e. section headers with an overview paragraph – they option to expand to see full details.
  • Add in a link to this page on your email signatures
  • Have a think where else in the business where you might be collecting personal data that you should be providing some level of privacy information i.e. Terms of engagement (use the same headings if possible).

Step 5 – Security Incident Procedure

Why?

This is the document that you need to describe the process for reporting data breaches or security weaknesses, events, and investigation of security incidents.  All staff must be made aware of document and understand the procedure as they have responsibilities to be able to know how to report breaches/ security incidents as they become aware of them.

How?

  • Write up your procedure and make it available to staff and ensure they’re aware of their data protection/ information security breach responsibilities as appropriate.

Step 6 – Information Security Breach Checklist

Why?

The checklist is to capture the key elements relating to a data breach to ensure actions are recorded and progressed as appropriate. The root cause can then be understood, and that is any new/changed controls are needed to be made and applied as part of the lessons learnt activities.

How?

  • Ensure it’s availability to staff and they understand and are aware of their data protection/ information security breach responsibilities as appropriate.

Step 7 – Subject Access Request (SAR) Procedure

Why?

As stipulated by GDPR any individual that you hold information on has a right to know what data you hold on them eg name, address, etc – this info can be requested by an individual using a  ‘Data Subject Access Request’.

How?

Write up your procedure outlining the steps to be followed by staff upon receiving this request, what information they need to record and how to go about it. This will ensure that your company receives and processes Data Subject Access Requests in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations.

Step 8 – Subject Access Request (SAR) Log

Why?

There are rules relating to how long you have to respond (within 30 days) to these requests and this log enables you to keep track of any requests in progress, or any historical requests made.  This log is linked to/ referenced within the Subject Access Request procedure.

Step 9 – GDPR Staff Training

Why?

Most data breaches/ Information Security breaches/incidents can be traced back to an individual’s actions or decisions.  Providing awareness training to staff is a form of control that you may need to evidence to the ICO/Client in the event of a data breach.

How?

  • Ensure all staff receive this training.
  • Retain evidence that this training has been delivered i.e. staff training records

Step 10 – Supplier Data Compliance Questionnaire

Purpose:

This questionnaire is to check that the suppliers that your business shares personal data with are GDPR compliant. It is a requirement for your company to check the security and data protection compliance of any processors/ sub-processors used by the business

How?

  • Identify those suppliers/ partners to whom you may supply personal data (Use the Data Matrix/ PIA results as a reference point)
  • Send the questionnaire to the companies likely to respond.
  • Conduct the required due diligence for larger organisations and retain evidence of findings
  • Take action depending on the outcome of the questionnaires/ proactive due diligence.

Next steps………

  1. Use your common sense when it comes to protecting your client dataJ
  2. Review your client terms of engagement – are you being transparent about the handling and protection of your client data?
  3. Complete the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)
  4. Identify your risks and implement the organisational controls (Policies, procedures and training)
  5. Identify the risks and implement the technological controls i.e. data back-up, anti-virus software, restricted access, password management.

If you would like more help understanding this topic – then contact us today!

What is data subject consent?

This is clearly defined by GDPR, what the data subjects wishes are in processing their data.

What is a freedom of information request?

Under the GDPR, individuals will have the right to obtain:

  • confirmation that their data is being processed;
  • access to their personal data; and
  • other supplementary information – this largely corresponds to the information that should be provided in a privacy notice

You must provide a copy of the information free of charge.  However, you can charge a ‘reasonable fee’ when a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, particularly if it is repetitive.

You may also charge a reasonable fee to comply with requests for further copies of the same information. This does not mean that you can charge for all subsequent access requests.

In order to provide the information you must verify the identity of the person making the request, using “reasonable means”. If the request is made electronically, you should provide the information in a commonly used electronic format.

If you would like to learn more about GDPR – contact us today!

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The Blackmores ISO Roadmap is a proven path to go from idea to launching your ISO Management System.

Whether you choose to work with one of our ISO Consultants, our isologists, or work your own way through the process on our isology Hub, we’re certain you’ll achieve certification in no time!

What our clients have to say

We engaged Blackmores to develop our ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001 management system from scratch. Throughout the creation and development stages of our ISO journey, Anju Punetha demonstrated remarkable patience, knowledge, and understanding as our dedicated consultant.

During our internal audit preparations, Ian Battersby’s meticulous attention to detail and thorough approach ensured we were well-prepared for our external audit, which we passed with flying colours. His guidance during the external audit was invaluable.

Based on our engagement and experience, I highly recommend the entire Blackmores team. If you’re considering pursuing ISO accreditations, Blackmores should be your first choice.

Graeme Adam

The support and advise I get from our assigned auditors is immense. Forward planning for the following year is great and they are flexible and always willing to help.

Kalil Vandi

“Blackmores have assisted us almost since the start of our adoption of the ISO 9001 quality standard. Their input has improved our processes since the start, and enabled our goal of continuous improvement to be achieved. The people are also extremely easy to get on with, and they really understand our business, giving us a great deal of confidence in their advice.”

David Gibson

Photon Lines Ltd

“Blackmores are the perfect bridge between working on your ISO as an individual or company, to being audited each year.  We find that any queries we have are covered and we feel sure that we have everything as needs be before going into an external audit.”

Mandy Welsby

Jaama Ltd

“We have been extremely impressed with the service and support provided by Blackmores.  There knowledge and assistance through out our ISO journey has been amazing!”

Philip Hannabuss

Dome Consulting

“Blackmores have really kept us on our toes with the broad scope and level of detail they apply to our internal audit schedule. They always stay abreast of ISO standard changes and help us to adapt our processes and documents to embrace these changes accordingly. Having Blackmores shadow our external audits provides invaluable confidence and peace of mind – would highly recommend their services!”

Phil Geens

Kingsley Napley

“Our ISO 27001 certification project has gone so well, that there was no doubt in who we were going to ask to help us with our aspirations of becoming ISO 14001 certified. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Blackmores, and we are really looking forward to working with them for the foreseeable future.”

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