As organisation collect and process more personal data, understanding data compliance has become essential. The Video by (SecurityFirstCorp, 2025) explains that data compliance involves following strict laws and regulations, such as GDPR, to ensure privacy and data protection. It highlights why rules are complex, constantly evolving, and how companies must keep up through regular staff training and secure data handling system.

Data Compliance

What it is and why is become so complicated?

Data Compliance is a set of rules and laws about how organisations collect, store and use personal data. The Goal is to protect people's private information and make sure the data is not used in wrong way.

Compliance is not always easy, rules like GDPR are strict and always changing, so businesses need to stay up to date. They also need to train their staff and use secure systems to handle data properly.(Wolford, 2025)

To help protect user data and follow privacy laws like GDPR or HIPAA, data specialist use clear strategies such as limiting access, encrypting information, and training staff. These actions not only reduce risks but also build trust with users and show the company takes data protection seriously.(IBM, 2023a)

Strategies used by Data specialists to ensure data compliance is meet:

GDPR - A European regulation that protects the personal data of individuals within the EU.
HIPAA - A U.S law that safeguards the privacy and security of health-related information.
CCPA - A state law in California that gives residents more control over their personal data, including the right to know, delete, or opt out of data sharing.
PCI DSS - A global standard designed to keep card payment data secure
ISO 27001- An international framework that helps organisations manage data security and reduce risks.

To remain compliant, companies must also follow the data protection laws and standards specific to each country which they operate.

Failing to do can lead to loss of customer trust, big fines and serious legal problems.(IBM, 2023a)

General Data Protection Regulation

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a key law in the European Union designed to protect personal data and give individuals more control over how their information is collected, store and used. Introduced in 2018, GDPR applies to any business that handles EU citizens datan no matter where the company is based. It sets strict rules around consent, data access, and right to be forgotten. The regulation has made companies more accountable by forcing them to rethink how they handle privacy and security, while also giving people clearer rights when it comes to their digital footprint.(Channel 4 News, 2018)

California Consumer Privacy Act

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is a privacy law that gives residents of California more control over how businesses collect, use, and share their personal information. As explained in the video by (MonetizeMore, 2019) , the CCPA grants people the right to know what data is being collected, request access to it, ask for it to be deleted, and opt out of the sale of their data. It applies many companies that handle consumer information and aims to make data practices more transparent and consumer focused.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

HIPAA is a U.S law that protects personal health information by setting strict rules for how it can be collected, stored, and shared. As explained in the video by (JD Young, 2023) , HIPAA helps ensure that sensitive medical record remain private and are only accesed by authorized people. It also outlines serious penalties for violations, including fines and legal consequences, reminding companies and healthcare providers of the importance of compliance in everyday operations.

Data Compliance is not just about how companies collect data, but also how they store and delete it. If a cyberattack like ransomware happens, companies can face serious fines if they haven't their data properly. One common mistake is keeping data for to long when it is no longer needed. Regulation like GDPR include the right to be forgotten.

Ways of follow GDPR Rules

To stay compliant with GDPR, businesses must follow clear steps to handle personal data responsibly. The video outlines five essential practices:

getting clear consent before collecting data
only use data for the intended purpose
keeping data secure
deleting it when no longer needed
keeping records of all actions.

These actions are crucial for building customer trust and avoiding legal penalties.(Bython, 2017)

Data Compliance Strategies

Create a Compliance Framework is like a plan or set of rules that shows how a company will fallow the law when working with data. It includes things like who has access to data, how long it is kept and what to do if something goes wrong.
Data policies and Standards, every company should have clear rules about how data is collected, stored, shared and deleted. These are called Data Policies, and help employees understand what they can and can not do with data. For Example how long customer data should be kept or who is allowed to access sensitive information.
Ensure proper access control, not everyone in a company should have access to all data. Access control means giving data access only to the people who really need it for their job. This can be done using passwords, user roles or multi factor authentication. For example, a Data Analyst can have access to customer feedback, but not to payment details.
Implement encryption and anonymisation, these 2 methods are used to keep data safe, even if it is shared or moved between systems.

Encryption is when data is turned into a secret code, so if someone steals it cannot read it. Anonymisation means removing names or personal details so the data cannot be linked to a person.

For example , if Nike shares data with a partner company, encryption and anonymisation help to protect customer privacy.

Conduct Regular Audits help companies check if they are following data protection rules. Audits involve reviewing how data is collected, who is using it, how it is stored and if the rules are being respected. If something is wrong, it can be fixed before becomes a serious problem.
Train Staff on compliance , employees should learn how to handle data safety, follow privacy laws like GDPR and what to do if something is goes wrong. For example Staff should know how to spot a phishing email or what kind of data they are allowed to collect from customers.
Monitor Data use and Activity, a company need to keep an eye on how data is being used. This means tracking who access the data, what they do with, and if something unusual happens. Monitoring is a good way to detect early problems.

These strategies help Data Specialists protect personal information, prevent mistakes and follow legal rules like GDPR, HIPAA or CCPA.

By using the right tools, training staff and staying organized, companies can manage Data responsibly and avoid serous problems.(IBM, 2023a)