Question: What are the frequently asked questions regarding Act! 365 and GDPR?
Answer: Below are some of the common questions to provide guidance on using Act! 365 and being GDPR compliant.
What is GDPR?
GDPR stands for the General Data Protection Regulations. These regulations will govern the use by organisations of personal information of any individual resident in the European Union. They come into force on 25 May 2018, when they will replace the Data Protection Act 1998.
Just as under the Data Protection Act, each Act! 365 user will need to think about and plan how to use the information they store in Act!, so they do so in line with the law.
If my information is held in Act! do I comply with GDPR?
It is not possible to comply with the Data Protection Act simply by using any one specific software. Instead in the many years since the Data Protection Act came into force in 1998, businesses have been using the guidance issued by the Information Commissioner, advice from their own lawyers and the help of Act! Certified Consultants to help them to comply. Once GDPR comes into force we expect Act! 365 users will continue to take this approach, to ensure they use personal information stored in Act! 365 in compliance with the GDPR.
How can I prepare my business for GDPR?
At the moment the following blog posts are available on our web site:
What is GDPR and How Does It Impact Your Business?
https://www.act.com/en-uk/act-blog/post/blog/2017/09/27/what-is-gdpr-and-how-does-it-impact-your-business
5 Steps how to prepare your business for GDPR
https://www.act.com/en-uk/act-blog/post/blog/2017/11/23/5-steps-how-to-prepare-your-business-for-gdpr
Some useful resources are available from the Information Commissioner’s Office website. Links to some of our favourites are below.
You can view the ICO’s list of resources for small business by clicking the link below:
https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/business/
It may also be useful to review the following documents to assist you in preparation for GDPR:
Overview FAQs guide to the GDPR
https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/business/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr-faqs/
Checklist of steps to take now
https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/documents/1624219/preparing-for-the-gdpr-12-steps.pdf
A brief guide to data protection for small business
https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/documents/1559/getting_it_right_a_brief_guide_to_data_protection_for_smes.pdf