Data protection basics for small business IT, wherever you operate
Privacy laws that affect small businesses around the world, and the everyday IT steps that help you meet them: access control, backups and breach plans.
· 1 min read
If your business keeps customer names, emails, phone numbers or booking records, privacy law probably applies to you. The rules differ by country, but the IT habits that keep you on the right side of them are remarkably similar.
Examples of privacy laws around the world
- European Union and United Kingdom: the GDPR and UK GDPR.
- New Zealand: the Privacy Act 2020.
- Australia: the Privacy Act 1988.
- Canada: PIPEDA at the federal level, plus some provincial laws.
- United States: a growing set of state laws, such as California's consumer privacy law.
- India: the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023.
Many of these share the same ideas: collect only what you need, keep it secure, let people see and correct their information, and act quickly if something goes wrong.
The IT side of it
- 1Know where personal data lives. Booking systems, email, spreadsheets, POS and cloud storage.
- 2Limit access. Give staff their own accounts and only the access they need.
- 3Turn on multi-factor authentication for email and anything holding customer data.
- 4Back up and test restores regularly.
- 5Keep devices updated and encrypt laptops and phones.
- 6Have a breach plan. Who to call, how to contain it, and whether you must notify a regulator or customers.
An IT technician can audit your set-up and fix the gaps in a day or two. Start with the IT checklist for small businesses, then find IT support.
Need a technician for this?
Search technicians by location and skill, then message them about your job.