Data protection specialists at national law firm Shoosmiths have launched a data protection e-learning tool to help businesses which process personal data to stay within the law. Data Protection compliance is reaching the top of the governance agenda for many organisations. All businesses which process personal data must comply with Data Protection legislation and for some this is something of a black hole. Aisling Duffy, head of data protection at the firm said: "Failure to comply could have a significant impact on your business, resulting in an investigation and/or enforcement action by the Information Commissioner's Office - the regulator responsible for enforcing compliance with the Act. "Fines of up to £500,000 can be given for a serious breach, not to mention significant brand damage, plus loss of customer trust and confidence. Ultimately, organisations rely on their employees to comply with the requirements of the Act, but staff can only be expected to do so if they are aware of the Act, what it requires, and what this means in relation to their particular roles. "With this in mind, we've developed an interactive and user-friendly e-learning course that can be taken by employees at their work station, making it much easier for management to ensure employees are aware of and understand their obligations under the Act. "The tool contains an evaluation programme enabling organisations to demonstrate that employees are fully aware of the Act and, more importantly, understood the training they received. It will also let you track who has completed and passed the training - and who has not!" Because it is hosted by Shoosmiths, the e-learning tool requires minimum IT department involvement, and can: + be adapted to include details of and links to your data protection policies + contain your logo/branding and a senior management voiceover to emphasise the importance of compliance and your commitment to it + notify results of the evaluation and generate management reports + be accessed at any time via the internet

1. 11
Data protection & e-learning
The challenges for businesses in the age of privacy
Prepared by Aisling Duffy
October 2013

2. 2
A catch-22...
 No UK based company in 2013 can afford to ignore
the risks of breaches in data and privacy law.
 But however conscientious you are as a director,
compliance officer or in-house lawyer, your
organisation’s ability to comply with the legislation
ultimately depends on the behaviour not of you, but of
your employees.

3. 3
The penalties...
 The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has the power to take
enforcement action and can issue fines of up to £500,000. And that’s
without factoring in the costs of brand damage and loss of customer trust
and confidence.
 Failure to comply with your obligations could also be a criminal offence.
 Having policies and procedures “in the drawer” are no longer enough to
ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 (the “Act”).
Businesses must take steps to help their employees understand the
requirements of the Act and how it applies to their role.

4. 4
E-learning: the smart route to ensuring
DPA compliance...
Shoosmiths’ e-learning course on Data Protection combines a
user-friendly feel with absolute legal clarity
 Training takes place at an employees workstation, in their own time and at
their own pace
 Provides each individual with a clear understanding of the importance of
the Act and its requirements, that they can take at their own pace
 Case studies to make it memorable and ‘business-real’
 No IT hassles - we host the site
 Enforces a minimum standard of understanding - individuals are required
to answer questions at the end of the course and to achieve a certain
number of correct answers to achieve a pass or fail

5. 5
… tailored to your business
Shoosmiths’ e-learning course on Data Protection combines a
user-friendly feel with absolute legal clarity
 Your own branding
 Case studies relevant to your business and sector
 Includes direct links to your data protection policies
 Results are collated for you, recording the names of all users who have
completed the course, those who have not and those who have
passed/failed. This makes it even easier for you to keep exact track of
awareness levels.

6. 6
A leading UK law firm
 Established 1845
 A top 40 national law firm
 Operating from 10 offices
 Employing more than 1100 people
 Turnover of £90m
 25% profit increase for 2010-11
 Accredited to quality standard ISO 9001
 Strong emphasis on the Shoosmiths culture and
its values
 Part of the World Services Group offering an
international dimension to our work
Aisling Duffy
Associate
T: 03700 86 5089
E: aisling.duffy@shoosmiths.co.uk
Relevant experience
Aisling leads the firm’s Data Protection Team and has extensive
experience in data protection and privacy law. Aisling’s recent experience
includes advising:
 a global leader in the catering and facilities management sector on their data
protection issues. This included a multi-site audit of the entire UK business
and advising on remedial compliance measures, subject access requests,
trans-border data flows and FoIA advice in relation to information provided in
tender responses to public sector clients;
 various clients on handling subject access requests made by customers and
ex-employees, including identifying relevant data and advising on exemptions;
 clients in dealing with requests for information made under the FoIA and in
particular, the application of the exemptions from disclosure set out in FoIA; and
 clients in relation to the collection and use of personal data for marketing and
other purposes including the drafting of tailored fair processing notices for use
both online and on paper forms.
CONTACT

7. 6
A leading UK law firm
 Established 1845
 A top 40 national law firm
 Operating from 10 offices
 Employing more than 1100 people
 Turnover of £90m
 25% profit increase for 2010-11
 Accredited to quality standard ISO 9001
 Strong emphasis on the Shoosmiths culture and
its values
 Part of the World Services Group offering an
international dimension to our work
Aisling Duffy
Associate
T: 03700 86 5089
E: aisling.duffy@shoosmiths.co.uk
Relevant experience
Aisling leads the firm’s Data Protection Team and has extensive
experience in data protection and privacy law. Aisling’s recent experience
includes advising:
 a global leader in the catering and facilities management sector on their data
protection issues. This included a multi-site audit of the entire UK business
and advising on remedial compliance measures, subject access requests,
trans-border data flows and FoIA advice in relation to information provided in
tender responses to public sector clients;
 various clients on handling subject access requests made by customers and
ex-employees, including identifying relevant data and advising on exemptions;
 clients in dealing with requests for information made under the FoIA and in
particular, the application of the exemptions from disclosure set out in FoIA; and
 clients in relation to the collection and use of personal data for marketing and
other purposes including the drafting of tailored fair processing notices for use
both online and on paper forms.
CONTACT