How safe is your customers data?

Your business faces an increasingly complex regulatory landscape when it comes to data privacy, consumer protection, and industry-specific compliance requirements. 

Keeping on top of these compliance requirements is a complex task. Failing to meet your requirements can have serious implications, with non-compliance (whether intentional or accidental) resulting in legal repercussions and possible reputational damage for the company. 

Taking excellent care of your customer data 

We live in a digital world, where your business collects huge amounts of data from your customers. This includes contact details, financial information, credit card details, and detailed breakdowns of their spending habits and buying preferences. 

In an effort to protect this data and preserve customer privacy, there are various data regulations that you must comply with. 

A sample of these global data privacy laws include: 

• The Privacy Act 2020 in New Zealand 
• The Privacy Act 1988 in Australia 
• The Data Protection Act 2018 in the UK 
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU 

If you trade mainly in New Zealand, it’s not too challenging to abide by The Privacy Act. However, if you’re trading overseas, you need to be aware of the data regulations you may need to comply with. 

Here are five simple steps to make compliance as simple and effective as possible: 

Work closely with legal advisers 

Compliance can get complicated if you’re not a legal expert. It’s sensible to seek advice from legal professionals, so you understand the specific compliance obligations for your industry and region. 

Run regular compliance audits 

It’s important to conduct regular risk assessments of your in-house data compliance. This helps your organisation comply with all the relevant regulations and industry standards, and stay updated with changes to compliance law. 



Protect your customer data 

Your customers expect you to take good care of their data, both personal and financial. Secure your customer and business data through end-to-end encryption and use of the best data privacy practices. 

Deliver regular training and keep your employees up to speed 

Your team needs to know the latest rules around compliance and what’s required of them. This means running frequent compliance training, so there’s a culture of compliance awareness. 

Use the latest data storage solutions 

With so much customer data being generated, it’s important to use up-to-date documentation management, and data storage software. This keeps the records and data you need safe, organised, and easy to access.