What are the key topics to include in a data privacy training program?

Some of the key topics to include in a data privacy training program are: • What data privacy is and why it is important for the organization and the customers. • What types of data need to be protected, such as personally identifiable information (PII), personal health information (PHI), or sensitive business information (SBI). • How to access, use, and share data in a secure and ethical manner, following the organization's policies and procedures, and the applicable laws and regulations. • How to store, backup, and dispose of data in a safe and responsible way, using the appropriate tools and methods. • How to report and manage any data breaches, incidents, or complaints, using the established protocols and guidelines.

It's important to cover not only what rights are available to a data subject, but also how data subjects can make requests. Make sure your audience understands that a request does not need to be made to the Privacy team directly, or through the specific methods laid out in a privacy notice to be considered a valid and actionable request under GDPR.

All six topics are crucial to data privacy training, but so is the delivery. ✅ Make it fun. ✅ Make it weird. ✅ Make it memorable. I find the most effective training method is to venture off the beaten path and add a fun twist to learning. Don't be afraid to add in some humour, make it personal to the attendees and open up discussion. Creating staff who are just as passionate about data privacy is invaluable. And, data privacy is something that impacts both organisations AND individuals; you can connect with individuals while being able to frame it in the context of the organisation and its values. While this training is indeed a compliance requirement for many organisations, it doesn't have to be treated as a checkbox.

Consider making your data privacy training department specific. Getting the whole organization to adhere to training programs sometimes can be difficult. A perfect way to tackle this is to make the trainings department specific. This would mean examples used during training, the kind of data used in training will be reflective of the department. It helps drive home the impact of the training using grounds familiar to the trainees.

Data privacy refers to the protection and responsible handling of individuals' personal information. It involves safeguarding data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, or alteration and ensuring that individuals have control over how their data is collected and used. Data Protection Policies: Create and enforce data protection policies and procedures that align with relevant laws and regulations, such as GDPR, CCPA,etc., Access Control: Implement strict access controls to limit who can access and modify sensitive data. Minimize data: Collect and retain only the data necessary for the intended purpose. BreachPlan: Develop a plan for responding to data breaches, including notifying affected individuals and authorities when required.