At least since May 25, 2018, data protection and data security have been on everyone's mind. Designed as uniform data protection law with Europe-wide application, the European General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR) enjoys the potential to become the global gold standard in data protection. Supervisory authorities, in an attempt to bring the law to life, are prepared to impose high penalties, as evidenced by fine notices of up to EUR 18 million in connection with recent data protection scandals. All over the world, customers and business partners rightly expect companies to treat their data in compliance with data protection provisions. In their company's interests, data controllers should identify need for action relating to data protection and data security to avoid costly disputes with supervisory authorities, employees, and customers, but also to prevent fines and loss of reputation. These efforts and costs should be considered both an opportunity and an investment to establish the own company as internationally competitive in data protection. Initial ambiguities and the wide range of theoretical problems are becoming secondary against the realization that a large number of best practice approaches has now been established and know-how for efficient implementation is available.
Our approach
1. Quick Check
The Quick Check is a tool for corporate management, offering pragmatic recommendations with specific proposals for action to comply with the statutory requirements on data protection and data security. The process to establish all of the required information kept lean by design, reducing the task to completing a questionnaire and attending a workshop that we are holding on site. We will determine jointly with you the extent to which your company has adequately implemented statutory requirements. Based on the status quo, we will offer specific recommendations on legal, technical, and organizational design. Not leaving you to work on these areas by yourself, we will prioritize the steps to be taken and identify measures that may be implemented at a later date or that may be optional. Our assessment draws from our many years of experience and includes a risk and expense estimate. The Quick Check will not only assess your status quo in a very brief period, but also offer weighted recommendations for action in terms of dataprotection and data security, taking into account cost and risk aspects. You will benefit from our many years of expertise!
2. Quality Check
Companies wishing to have their current data protection and data security measures checked by a highly qualified law firm under full cost control will be best served with our Quality Check. It includes the review of your existing data protection documentation, assessing it from a risk perspective. Our assessment starts with a meeting at your site to jointly discuss the details of the questionnaire that you completed in advance and supporting documents. Please be aware that within the scope of the Quality Check, it is not possible to check all documents on site, but the review must be limited to checking selected sample documents. As an example, we will be glad to check whether the sample forms used for your order processing comply with statutory requirements and will offer additional information on completing them. Following the Quality Check, you will receive an audit report including a prioritized action plan on improvements that are required in data protection documentation. The Quality Check provides companies with the opportunity to have their data protection compliance checked voluntarily and to obtain an assessment of their status quo in data protection.
Our offering
For data protection and data security, companies can book the Quick Check or the Quality Check. The Quick Check / Quality Check is performed by highly specialized and experienced lawyers from SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte.
The Quick Check / Quality Check in your company is prepared with the use of a questionnaire, which is to be completed by the relevant specialist departments. The questionnaire is designed to establish the status quo and to determine the necessary need for action, either your premisesor at our offices. Within two weeks of the meeting, you will receive a written assessment with specific recommendations for further action, including a weighting of legal risks for your company.
The Quality Check requires the data protection concepts and documentation to be checked in advance. The Quality Check may either be performed at your premises or at our offices.
Costs
We offer the Quick Check / Quality Check on a fixed price basis, including the check of one company. The checks of subsidiaries or parent companies must be ordered separately. Travel expenses are not included in the fixed price.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
