Importance Of GDPR Adequacy In Technology

Importance Of GDPR Adequacy In Technology

GDPR: If you have a company, regardless of size, you have certainly noticed the impacts of LGPD on information technology, right? In the data age, where information is worth a lot, and with the increasing automation of processes, it was expected that attacks and malicious actions would become increasingly common. 

As you can see, we are talking about institutions of all niches, public and private. It is natural, therefore, that, over time, measures were created to “protect the fundamental rights of freedom and privacy and the free development of the personality of the natural person.”

And that’s precisely what the LGPD says in technology, IT, and all environments that handle data from individuals. Let’s understand a little more about this regulation, its consequences, and how companies can fit into the rules of the General Data Protection Act.

What Is GDPR In Information Technology?

LGPD is the General Data Protection Law, passed in 2019 and came into force in 2020, established in Law 13.709/2018. Its main objective is to standardize guidelines and practices to ensure data protection, as its name suggests.

With the evolution of digital tools and the valorization of data and information for developing business strategies, the clash of interests is natural. Both on the side of the data bearer (customers, users, etc.) and on the companies that handle this information. 

And there is still a third agent, which acts maliciously to take advantage of the lack of data security, carrying out attacks and intrusions to steal valuable information.

The world, therefore, became concerned with these issues, and countries had to establish norms, practices, and laws that would make it difficult to use, store and share this data irregularly.

What Are The Impacts Of LGPD On IT? 

The significant impact of LGPD on information technology is the readjustment and establishment of a data security policy in line with established standards. 

For example, by law, the company must establish internal collaborators responsible for each step of data manipulation. Are they:

  • controller, responsible for making decisions on data processing; 
  • The operator who performs the processing 
  • And the person in charge will be responsible for interacting with the holders of personal data and with the national authority.

It is widespread for these processes to be carried out by a team or even a single employee, depending on the company’s size. 

Although it is more common for these attributions to be carried out by the IT sector, it is worth mentioning that compliance with the LGPD in technology is not an exclusive responsibility of IT. On the contrary, all sectors, processes, teams, and organizational levels must adapt in theory and practice to the Data Protection Act.

After all, the incorrect handling of information can occur in many ways, even unintentionally. But, of course, operational responsibility rests with the IT team, which needs to assist in choosing technological tools that offer good performance without compromising data security. This isn’t exactly an easy job.

After all, many vendors correlate agility with cutting steps and simplifying security processes. And this should not occur in companies that want to adapt to the LGPD in technology.

Therefore, the ideal is to seek partners aligned with this concern and offer adequate security mechanisms. Thus, today, cloud computing offered by innovative companies with authority on the subject has become fundamental for IT.

Can Companies Suffer Consequences For Not Complying With The General Data Protection Law?

Yea! As mentioned earlier, companies can suffer various sanctions and fines due to non-compliance with the LGPD in technology in the digital or physical environment. 

In addition to the high financial cost, the non-application of LGPD standards in technology directly impacts the company’s reliability, its image in the market, and its growth potential. After all, distrust affects conversion rates and can even increase customers’ churn rates, dropouts, and abandonment.

What Can I Do To Adapt My Company To The LGPD?

Today, countless companies, such as FinTech’s, Health techs, etc., were born in the digital environment. And it is assumed that they are already prepared to guarantee information security. After all, your data flow occurs mainly in the digital domain, which is prone to attacks and invasions. But, in practice, many end up not developing a data security policy. Which, as we’ve seen here, can be extremely harmful. 

To avoid this and adapt to the LGPD in technology, it is essential to have a deep understanding of the law and your company’s internal processes. The practice, however, may require professional help from a team specialized in the Data Protection Act.

Also Read: Ambient Computing: Technology Convergence