The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) sets some pretty strict rules for organizations dealing with personal data from EU citizens. While the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) has some awesome tools for managing your cloud resources, it’s important not to rely solely on those technical commands.
Technology is not enough
GDPR compliance isn’t just about following a set of commands; it’s really about getting a solid grasp of the context and purpose behind how we handle data. Sure, CLI tools can delete a file, but they can’t figure out whether that file contains personal data that needs to be erased, if it has to stick around for legal reasons, or if deleting it fits within a lawful basis we’ve documented.
Plus, those CLI commands run by themselves and don’t come with the handy audit trails, detailed logging of how data is accessed and processed, or the automated tools for handling complex rights requests (like data portability) that a well-rounded GDPR solution would offer.
Think of the AWS CLI as a cool tool, but building a GDPR-compliant setup is more like crafting a solid fortress—it takes thorough blueprints and a willingness to adapt our processes along the way.
You need organizational policies
These policies lay out what personal data we handle, the reasons behind it (the legal grounds), how long we keep it, who can access it and under what circumstances, as well as our procedures for managing data breaches and requests from individuals. It’s important to remember that these aren’t just one-time documents to check off the list and forget about. They’re dynamic tools that need to be regularly reviewed, updated, and tested to stay effective.
What can happen if you don’t review your organizational policies?
Your policies might not always keep up with what’s actually happening in business. It’s as simple as that. Since changes in operations are pretty common, it’s a good idea to review your policies regularly—ideally every year or whenever there’s a big shift. This way, you can make sure your policies still match reality.
Without a flexible policy framework, you might end up sticking to guidelines that just don’t make sense for your business. Keep in mind that while technology does the heavy lifting, it’s your policies that set the direction, and humans are the ones doing the work. So, let’s not forget to have some human oversight in the mix—don’t trust everything to AI!