What are the key principles of data privacy risk assessment?

1 Context and scope

The first principle of data privacy risk assessment is to define the context and scope of your data project. This means clarifying the purpose, objectives, and legal basis of your data processing activities, as well as the types, sources, and destinations of the data you will handle. You should also identify the stakeholders involved in your project, such as data subjects, data controllers, data processors, data protection authorities, and third parties. By defining the context and scope, you can set the boundaries and expectations for your data privacy risk assessment and avoid unnecessary or excessive data processing.

3 Data security and integrity

The third principle of data privacy risk assessment is to ensure the data security and integrity of your data project. This means implementing appropriate technical and organizational measures to prevent unauthorized or accidental access, modification, disclosure, or destruction of your data. You should also ensure that your data is accurate, complete, and up-to-date, and that you have backup and recovery plans in case of data loss or corruption. By ensuring the data security and integrity, you can protect the confidentiality, availability, and quality of your data, and prevent or mitigate data breaches or incidents.

4 Data transparency and accountability

The fourth principle of data privacy risk assessment is to promote the data transparency and accountability of your data project. This means informing the data subjects about your data processing activities, such as the purpose, legal basis, duration, and recipients of your data, and providing them with the rights to access, rectify, erase, restrict, or object to your data processing. You should also document and record your data processing activities, such as the data flows, risk assessments, security measures, and consent forms, and be ready to demonstrate your compliance with the data protection laws and regulations. By promoting the data transparency and accountability, you can build trust and confidence with the data subjects and the data protection authorities, and comply with your legal and ethical obligations.

6 Data privacy by design and by default

The sixth and final principle of data privacy risk assessment is to implement the data privacy by design and by default approach for your data project. This means integrating the data protection principles and measures into every stage and aspect of your data project, from the planning and design to the development and deployment. You should also ensure that your data project defaults to the highest level of data protection, such as the minimum data collection and processing, the maximum data security and encryption, and the opt-in consent and preference settings. By implementing the data privacy by design and by default approach, you can embed the data protection culture and values into your data project, and enhance the data privacy experience and satisfaction of your data subjects.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?