Legal Counsel DPO as a Service

With the enactment of data protection and privacy laws in many countries, several jurisdictions now mandate the appointment of a Data Protection Officer (DPO) for public authorities and organizations whose core activities involve either the “regular and systematic monitoring of data subjects on a large scale” or the large-scale processing of “special categories of personal data.”

The role of the DPO encompasses a wide range of complex and diverse responsibilities, and the scarcity of skilled professionals in this field makes finding a suitable candidate both challenging and costly.

These laws typically outline the following key responsibilities for a DPO:

• Acting as a point of contact for data subjects and supervisory authorities.
• Promoting awareness within the organization regarding data processing requirements and other applicable data protection and privacy regulations.
• Monitoring the organization’s compliance with relevant laws.
• Identifying and managing data privacy risks associated with organizational activities.
• Ensuring staff receive appropriate training on data processing obligations.
• Conducting Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs).
• Maintaining Records of Processing Activities (RoPA).
• Performing audits related to data security and processing practices.

Most regulations also allow organizations to appoint an external DPO under a service contract. In response, DataLaws Training offers its Data Protection Officer as a Service (DPOaaS) solution for clients who prefer not to hire an in-house DPO or face challenges in recruiting the right talent for this role.