As we wrap up the first quarter of the year, it’s the perfect time for small and medium businesses as well as startups to reassess their data privacy and protection strategies. Regulatory requirements, security threats, and customer expectations around privacy are constantly evolving, so all businesses must stay proactive.
While diving into Q2, take some time to review your company’s privacy posture and ensure you’re on track to meet compliance obligations and mitigate risks.
Here’s a practical checklist of data protection and privacy tips and reminders to help you close the first quarter of 2025 strong and start Q2 with confidence.
Q1 Data Privacy Wrap-Up: What to Review
= Conduct a Privacy & Security Audit
Review your current data privacy and cybersecurity practices. Have you implemented all necessary safeguards to protect customer and employee data? Are there any gaps in compliance or security controls that need immediate attention?
= Update Your Data Inventory & RoPA
If your business maintains a Record of Processing Activities (RoPA), now is the time to ensure it’s up to date. If you haven’t documented how your company collects, stores, and processes personal data, Q2 is the perfect time to start.
= Assess Vendor & Third-Party Compliance
Review the data processing agreements (DPAs) and security policies of vendors who handle your customer or employee data. Ensure they are compliant with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, or industry-specific standards. If any vendors fail to meet your security expectations, it may be time to reconsider your partnerships.
= Review and Update Privacy Policies
Regulations change, and so do business operations. Ensure your privacy policies and terms of service reflect current legal requirements and how your company actually handles data. If your business launched new products, services, or data collection methods in Q1, update your privacy notices accordingly.
= Analyze Security Incidents & Response Effectiveness
If you experienced a data breach or security incident in Q1, review your response plan’s effectiveness. Identify what worked well and what needs improvement. If you didn’t experience an incident, this is a good time to conduct a tabletop exercise to test your breach response plan.
= Reassess Data Retention & Deletion Practices
Ensure your company is following its data retention policies. Delete or anonymize personal data that is no longer needed to minimize risk exposure. This is especially important for businesses handling sensitive information like financial, healthcare, or biometric data.
Q2 Data Protection Priorities: What to Focus On
+ Refresh Employee Privacy & Security Training
Kick off Q2 with a refresher on privacy and cybersecurity training. Employees should be reminded of phishing risks, secure data handling practices, and incident reporting protocols to prevent human errors that could lead to data breaches.
+ Enable Privacy-Enhancing Technologies
Now is a great time to implement or improve encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and anonymization techniques to safeguard personal data. These measures strengthen security and demonstrate your commitment to privacy.
+ Prepare for Regulatory Changes & Industry Updates
Stay ahead of evolving privacy laws and compliance deadlines that may impact your business in Q2 and beyond. For example, some jurisdictions may be tightening consumer privacy rights, and enforcement actions may increase. HONOS can help you stay informed and compliant.
+ Reinforce Consent Management & Data Subject Rights
Ensure that customers can easily access, correct, or delete their data as required by privacy regulations. If your business relies on marketing or analytics data, review how you obtain and manage user consent to avoid non-compliance risks.
+ Strengthen Incident Detection & Response Plans
Cyber threats are constantly evolving. Ensure your company has robust threat detection mechanisms and an up-to-date breach response plan in place. If you don’t have a dedicated privacy or security team, consider outsourcing this function to experts like HONOS.
Let HONOS Help You Stay Privacy-Compliant in Quarter 2
Whether you need a privacy audit, compliance updates, or a dedicated fractional privacy officer, HONOS provides expert guidance to help companies meet their data protection goals. Don’t wait until a compliance issue or security breach puts your business at risk, take proactive steps now.
Need help preparing your business for Q2? Contact HONOS today for data protection and data privacy support tailored to your company’s needs.
