The 12 digital days of Christmas – Day 8

Our not-as-delicious but eminently more useful alternative to the chocolate advent calendar!

Day 8 - IRIS GDPR Advisor

Are you on the naughty or nice list this year? Not for Santa. No, we mean the Information Commissioner!

Obviously, you don’t want a lump of coal in your stocking from Father Christmas for being badly behaved but an investigation and potentially a fine from the ICO is even less appealing.

It all depends on how up to speed you’ve been with the changing data regulations. With your sights set on unwrapping those shiny presents glistening under the tree, it may be difficult to think back to May 25, the deadline for GDPR compliance. Were you ready on time?

Of course, even if you were, that doesn’t mean you can rest on your festive laurels. It’s an ongoing process.

From the festive season to the tax season

It’s even more pressing at this time of year as we approach the new tax season – the first one under the new data regime. The New Year creates, in theory, the perfect conditions for identity theft because it’s when all the most valuable client data you hold is being edited, shared, sent and uploaded. This includes National Insurance numbers, employers’ details, financial information and addresses.

The people who don’t care whether they’re on the naughty list are the hackers and ID thieves. They’re like an anti-Santa, trying to get down the digital chimney, to steal gifts, rather than deliver them.

That’s why, on day 8 of the digital days of Christmas, we are focusing on IRIS GDPR Advisor, our new service to help accountancy practices with compliance and data security.

Thankfully for you, among the key things IRIS GDPR Advisor provides is help with cyber security issues. With regulations and e-security issues continually evolving, having access to up to date resources is key. That’s one of the essential things it will deliver.

The service is a partnership between IRIS and The Data Support Agency, which acts as an outsourced Data protection lead to provide guidance, tools, templates and support, housed in a secure IRIS portal.

The good people at TDSA will help ensure you’re not on the ICO naughty list and that, as the regulations continue to evolve, so does your firm.

Among the key features you get are:

- A readiness dashboard and traffic lights that show how close you are to completing elements of compliance

- A comprehensive audit trail to demonstrate activities in case of an investigation

- An option to investigate compliance implications before new services are developed and delivered

- A range of tools, document templates, processes and planning guides

- Access to technical support, including a comprehensive, regularly updated FAQ page

To find out how IRIS can help you even more with GDPR compliance and protecting your practice from data thieves, including through IRIS OpenSpace, which allows accountants to upload, store, approve and exchange documents securely and in a complaint fashion, speak to our Customer Success Team. Call 01753 212 599 or email Customer.SuccessTeam@iris.co.uk.

That talk of Santa and chimneys has reminded us the soot needs clearing before he arrives this year or he will not be a very jolly St Nick! Time to call the chimney sweep! We’ll see you tomorrow for day 9 of the digital days of Christmas.