Data protection checklist

This checklist will help you to comply with the Data Protection Act. Being able to answer ‘yes’ to every question does not guarantee compliance, and you may need more advice in particular areas, but it should mean that you are heading in the right direction.

• Do I really need this information about an individual?
• Is this information all accurate and up to date?
• Do I know what I’m going to use it for?
• Do the people whose information I hold know that I’ve got it, and are they likely to understand what it will be used for?
• If I’m asked to pass on personal information, would the people about whom I hold information expect me to do this?
• Am I satisfied that the information is being held securely, whether it’s on paper or on computer? And what about my website? Is it secure?
• Do I have consent for all sensitive personal data that I hold?
• If I am transferring data outside of the EEA (ie the European Union plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), have I either ensured adequate protection or obtained consent from the data subject?

By Suzanne Dibble of Virtual Law

Virtual Law is a growing practice of lawyers who have held senior positions in-house and in leading law firms. It seeks to address the growing disconnect between the high hourly fee rates charged by traditional law firms and the need for businesses to reduce legal expenditure, without compromising quality of service and advice.

The Virtual Law solution is to provide expertise, without the burden of the significant central costs. To avoid significant central office costs, its Virtual Lawyers work either at clients' offices or at their own personal office (usually at home), connected by secure virtual desktops.

For further information, please see www.virtuallaw.eu or contact Suzanne at s.dibble@virtuallaw.eu or on 0330 100 0320.