What Is Data Mapping: All You Need to Know About Data Protection and Privacy

For a company to adhere to data privacy rules, there is a need to identify and classify sensitive personal data, understand how they collect, use and store such data, and how and who can access such data. So, the question of what is data mapping, and how to leverage it without infringing on customer privacy rights arises. Data mapping ensures that a company establishes a data model that is readable, actionable, and customizable to suit the corporate needs for online marketing and other purposes while remaining compliant with GDPR and other privacy regulations.

All You Need to Know About Data Protection and Privacy

Data privacy and protection relate to how an organization collects and handles data and the public expectation concerning data privacy. There are 3 elements to data privacy and protection that organizations should adhere to during data mapping. These are:

  1. Consent by individuals for personal data collection and use.
  1. Procedural data collection, processing, and handling.
  1. GDPR and other privacy rules compliance by organizations handling consumer data.

Here are aspects of data protection and privacy that every organization should be wary of during data mapping:

  1. Business entities are liable for data protection breaches

Organizations should protect personal data under their custody to ensure no third party has access to it and that there is no unauthorized usage of the personal data. They are liable for intentional or unintentional disclosure of such information, deletion, or data alteration. To do that, organizations use tools and software to protect data from malicious cyber-attacks and exploitation of victims of stolen data. Through encryption, access control, and secure networks, data protection is possible.

  1. Lawful database and data collection transparency

Transparency in data collection enhances consumer trust though it is also a privacy rule compliance aspect. Privacy is a consumer’s right to be left alone if they so wish. Giving consent is applicable when collecting consumer data, and every organization must adhere to it. Through a consent management platform that alerts the consumer on the data collection option, consumers can either give or deny the consent for their data to be collected.

  1. Consequences of Non-compliance to data protection and privacy rules

You should understand data mapping in the framework of the database in an organization. When you get it right, the risk of non-compliance to privacy rules no longer exists. The highest business risk of not complying with privacy rules is that it puts an organization’s reputation at risk and compromises customer loyalty. But there are also lawsuits and hefty fines by regulatory bodies for no compliance with the rules. Non-compliance puts the business at financial risk of collapse, and all organizations should comply with such privacy rules through the use of advanced technology.

  1. Trends in data protection and privacy

Technology makes it easy to track statutory data requirements and ensure that an organization complies with data privacy and protection when planning, marketing, and strategizing on business development. Through such data protection and privacy software, automation of data privacy and protection operations is possible.