Starting Your General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Journey with Okta

Introduction

Consumer-facing enterprises have long been stewards of customer identity data, storing sensitive attributes ranging from a customer’s name, to credit card numbers and home addresses. But with the ever increasing number of data breaches, privacy concerns, and misuse of data, lawmakers are now stepping in to arm data regulation with teeth. In the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was the first step taken to set a new standard for data privacy. As these organizations embark on the journey of continual data privacy compliance and it becomes a C level initiative, enterprises must take a second look at future-proofing their IT infrastructure.

Part I: GDPR & Business Effects

At a high level, the GDPR is all about individuals owning their own data. This can manifest itself in a variety of methods, from giving an individual the ability to view what kind of data is collected about them by corporations to requesting the erasure of personal information. In the age of enhanced privacy regulations and hefty fines, IT infrastructures must reconsider their approach to compliance.

With the proliferation of massive security breaches like Marriott and Panera Bread in 2018, new data privacy regulations like the GDPR are being enforced to protect individuals’ personal data. As awareness of t