The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, has rolled out across EU member states and, as such, it is now a requirement that we take additional steps to ensure the security of our most sensitive corporate data. After all, data you are handling which is not your own should be shouldered with an immense amount of responsibility and GDPR outright requires that you consult and obtain consent from said owners of data before you take any action with it. GDPR has ensured that current privacy protection standards are held up to a new level and that businesses and firms handling sensitive information such as ID cards should be taking greater steps to ensure that information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

ID card printing has evolved over the years, but now, it is perhaps more important than ever that it remains secure. With many different secure ID card printers and associated hardware available on the market, there’s never been a better time to invest in a GDPR-friendly model to ensure that you are keeping within data handling regulations. More crucially, you need to ensure that your employees’ data is being kept safe and secure. With these points in mind – why is it so crucial, moving forward, that you retain a GDPR enhanced printer for your ID cards?

Consider the Legal Ramifications

GDPR has been brought in to effectively safeguard employees against data theft and manipulation and as it’s your need for such data to be retained, it is your responsibility to make sure that any data collected and used is treated with the utmost care and respect. Otherwise, as the GDPR plainly states, you could be facing extensive legal ramifications.

Without a secure printing solution in place, and with there being any risk of data theft or leak, your business could be charged more than a few pennies if the worst does actually occur. If you are found to have infringed any part of the GDPR – which in turn impacts upon the rights of an individual whose data has been compromised – you could be charged up to €10 million, or 2% of your annual turnover, globally. That’s the lower fine tier – you could face fines of up to €20 million or 4% of global annual takings if your misdeeds are judged to be extensive enough – and you will be charged the greater of the two fees.

However, each case will be considered on a number of merits – such as the gravity of the situation involved, whether negligence or genuine intent was in play – but the threat of fines this extensive alone has opened a few eyes as to quite how serious the EU is about data protection. While it’s unlikely you will be charged into the millions unless you grievously and intentionally neglect to secure data – or do so with malicious intent – it’s still worth considering developing a secure ID card printing strategy so that you can avoid any chance of financial implication or – of course – any chance of you breaking the law!

Printing On-Site is Safer

It’s worthwhile retaining access to your own ID card printing system as GDPR has also highlighted the potential perils of outsourcing your printing to an external party. If you require a third party to access and process your employee data so that cards can be printed, you are now held just as liable for anything happening to said data during the process if the other party’s processes fail to meet GDPR requirements. You are going to need to effectively take third parties at their word that they themselves have secure ID card printing standards and that they will be willing to share details on said processes with you.

Therefore, it makes more sense to invest in a GDPR friendly ID card printer for the fact that you have complete access and control over your data during the process. This means that the use and destruction of such data falls to you. There’s no chance that an external firm may accidentally, or even intentionally, misuse the data your provide. As you will both be held liable should a data leak occur, it makes perfect sense to take any third parties out of the chain altogether. Why rely upon another firm’s GDPR policy when you can implement your own?

Secure ID Card Printing Pays for Itself

One of the main hurdles a business faces when taking on any new hardware or new strategy lies, of course, in the overhead costs. The fact remains that there may be firms unwilling or unmoved to invest in GDPR friendly ID card printers as a result of cost. However, pound for pound, it makes perfect sense to purchase hardware outright. The cost of ID card printing on a secure basis is only as much as regular ribbons and card refills demand, as well as the main unit outright. When it comes to staying within legal boundaries and making sure that your employees’ data is kept safe, it’s an investment that inarguably pays for itself.

As a corporate identity, you have certain responsibilities over the data you hold and the data you process. The purchase and implementation of a secure ID card printer as part of your working hardware, no matter which model, is an act of responsibility which will be looked upon with respect, regardless of whether or not you are being legally required to. It is important that employee data is protected at each and every pass – not only because data theft is getting more sophisticated, but also due to the fact that even one card passing through the net could result in severe damage to both your reputation and that of your employee’s.

Data protection and GDPR are hardly jokes. In a world where our data has never been more easily accessible, it makes perfect sense to protect it as much as we possibly can. A secure ID card printer is prevention that’s always worth taking.

Author bio:

Adam Bennett is a hands on digital marketing manager for the UK’s largest ID card company, Digital ID. Adam specialises in creating high-performance content marketing and SEO campaigns with a key passion for writing.

Website – https://www.digitalid.co.uk/

 

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Hi Im Eddie. Ive been working in finance for most of my life so I thought I would start to show some or my learnings. Hope you find it useful. I have dogs too and cats. When Im not feed them Im running.