| Link(s): | Boost your business fitness – ICO offers new, free data protection training for SMEs | ICO Data Protection Essentials | ICO Advice for small and medium organisations | ICO |
Context
Small and medium sized organisations (SMEs), and sole traders, across the UK are being encouraged to boost their business fitness by taking new online training from the ICO, called ‘Data Protection Essentials’. This new training sits alongside existing resource available on the ICO website on its ‘Advice for small and medium organisations’ web page.
Key points to note and next actions
- The training is relevant to all types of business and organisations and includes sector–specific examples for the education and childcare, health and social care, professional services, retail, and property sectors.
- Data Protection Essentials has been designed to give smaller organisations, their employees and sole traders clarity on data protection, and the straightforward, practical advice and know-how to apply the essentials confidently in their everyday work.
- The training includes practical, real-world examples tailored to different sectors, helping organisations recognise familiar situations and apply data protection in a way that’s relevant to their day-to-day operations.
- Through the programme, organisations can:
- Take steps to improve how they manage and protect people’s information.
- Use personal information confidently while maximising opportunities and reducing risk.
- Invite colleagues to build shared knowledge and confidence in handling personal information.
- Better understand their legal responsibilities and how to meet them in practice.
- Demonstrate a commitment to protecting personal information and maintaining trust.
- After completing the training, individuals will receive a digital certificate that they can share publicly to demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding people’s information.