GDPR: The “privacy equivalent of SOX”

This is a tough space. Many people will come in with 'tech solutions' others will come in with 'consultants'. I'm pretty deep in the weeds in this one.

My 2c: 1) Get a great data protection officer early. They set the roadmap. Can't afford one? you can outsource it (<shameless plug>dataprotectors.eu </plug> and a few others provide the service). Make sure he/she is certified by a competent body

2) You DPO must know BOTH techie stuff, and law and your core business.

3) Your DPO reports to the board, and has very strong powers legally. Choose them well.

4) they have to sign off on the vast majority of things you do (so get one who understands your business)

5) No GDPR compliance can shut you down in Europe pretty quickly (from s sales perspective) and be a massive distraction. Fix it early.

Bad or no DPO = GDPR fail.