GDPR-Konformität für E-Mail

GDPR compliance means meeting the data protection rules of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which became enforceable on May 25, 2018. These rules apply to any organization that stores or processes personal data associated with EU residents, whether those organizations are located in the EU or anywhere else on Earth.

GDPR rules encompass several key areas, including many that directly or indirectly impact the way organizations manage and archive email. For instance, they require affirmative user consent to the processing of personal data, prompt notifications of data breaches, the right to data portability and to have old personal data removed if it’s longer needed.

GDPR compliance is important, first, because there are substantial penalties for non-compliance. The GDPR sets potential fines up to 4% of a company’s worldwide sales. In the third quarter of 2021, for instance, the EU levied over US$1.14 billion in fines, with the largest fines assessed against Amazon Europe and WhatsApp Ireland.

Second, publicity surrounding GDPR breaches and violations represents a significant reputational risk to businesses, especially since GDPR is concerned with sensitive personal data that many customers and employees consider crucially important.

Third, GDPR has become a model for other regions around the world, where authorities have borrowed elements of its rules for their own privacy regulations. For example, while GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) are different in meaningful ways, they share many similarities. In many cases, large global businesses will need to adjust their processes in similar or overlapping ways to address both. And similar legislation is pending in a multitude of jurisdictions all around the world.

Mimecast’s experts and best-in-class offerings help organizations of all kinds comply with GDPR more cost-effectively in areas including preventing breaches, improving continuity and responding to individual GDPR requests that involve searching email archives. Some organizations first established GDPR compliance with temporary controls and manual processes. Mimecast can help such organizations implement solutions that are easier to manage, more comprehensive, more automated and more sustainable.