GDPR & Sales Team
The article below is important for every small business including Sales and Marketing team who generate leads and close the deals.
Three weeks ago, the e-InnoSec team received a call from the client that the company has signed a contract with the US-based new client to migrate corporate email on-prem to a new provider in the cloud. Along with the signed contract they received a five pages detailed questionnaire on the handling of private information. The small organizations doing business particularly in the US do not much speak about GDPR because they do not process any privacy data covered by the rules of GDPR. As it turns out the end client not only had an international presence but also had a Data Privacy Officer in Europe. Here is what everyone having small business needs to prepare for if you are having clients with an international presence.
What was in place before GDPR in Europe?
Many of you read or heard about the EU Data Protection Act 1998. Prior to the EU Data Protection Act, various countries in Europe had some form of data protection act that protected data privacy. Similar rules are present in other countries in Asia too.
What significant changes did GDPR introduce for personal data rights?
The significant changes in GDPR are related to the design which has the objective of providing rights as well as giving control to the personal data owner on deciding how the third party could use his/her personal information. Hence the rules are designed to ensure the data owner decides whether the third party can process his personal information, make changes, stop the use of information, etc. and have right to receive the information requested, obtain his consent, restrict processing, provide visibility on the processing of information, etc.
The challenge is for the companies to implement the rules and techniques that will allow them to comply with the rules (please refer to Exhibit A below) of providing information in a timely manner, obtaining and documenting consent, etc. Once you understand the objective, Exhibit A will make sense.
How fast should a small business assess GDPR readiness?
EInnoSec advisor performed an assessment of the client's GDPR readiness in three days and submitted a report on the fifth day providing gap analysis and suggested remedial actions. If your team is spending more than three days in deciding on what to do, the problem is not about addressing GDPR but probably addressing the information security as well as a data privacy issue.
Please, note the objective is to gain an understanding of what we need to do. It will be great for every small business having international clients or wish to work with international clients, perform some quick study on GDPR and educate Sales and Marketing team.
The sales team also needs to know about cold emailing, calling, etc. eInnoSec (www.einnosec.com) team will cover this in next post.
What does Exhibit A summarize about GDPR rules?
Exhibit A – GDPR Rules
* Below is the summary of rules and will request you to read about processors vs controllers.
| Scope, timetable and new concepts Material and territorial scope New and significantly changed concepts Registration | Data transfers Transfers of personal data |
| Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency Data protection principles Lawfulness bases for processing and further processing personal data Legitimate interests Consent Consent to process children’s personal data Sensitive data and lawful processing | Regulators Appointment of supervisory authorities Competence, tasks, and powers Co-operation and consistency between supervisory authorities European Data Protection Board |
| Individual rights Right to be informed Subject access, rectification, and portability Rights to object Right to rectification and data quality Right to erasure including retention and disposal Right to restriction of processing Rights related to automated decision-making including profiling | Special cases Derogations and special conditions |
| Accountability, security, and breach notification Data governance obligation Data processor contracts Data Protection Personal data breaches and notification Codes of conduct and certifications | Delegated acts and implementing the act Delegated acts, implementing acts and final provisions Data Privacy Officer |
Related Resources
Related Posts
Are you ready for GDPR Part II
A practical GDPR readiness view for teams handling personal data, with focus on obligations that affect day-to-day business operations.
Read More
How Can I Use What I've Done for GDPR to Help with CCPA? Part IV
Map existing GDPR controls to CCPA requirements to reduce compliance rework and improve privacy program efficiency.
Read More
How Do I Leverage My GDPR Preparation for CCPA? Part IV
A practical GDPR-to-CCPA transition guide covering policy alignment, rights handling, and operational privacy controls.
Read More
GRC Insights That Matter
Exclusive updates on governance, risk, compliance, privacy, and audits — straight from industry experts.