General Data Protection Policy

Data Protection Policy

CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW Key Details:

Policy Prepared By: MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED

Approved By Board/Management On: Policy Became Operational On 01/01/2022.

Next Review Date: 12/01/2023.

Introduction

MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED needs to gather and use certain information about individuals. These individuals can include customers, suppliers, business contacts, employees, and other people with whom the organization has a relationship or may need to contact. This policy describes how personal data must be collected, handled, and stored to meet the company’s data protection standards and comply with the law.

Why This Policy Exists

This Data Protection Policy ensures that MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED:

– Complies with data protection laws and follows good practices

– Protects the rights of staff, customers, and partners

– Is transparent about how it stores and processes individuals’ data

– Protects itself from the risks of a data breach

Data Protection Law

The Data Protection Act 1998 describes how organizations, including MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED, must collect, handle, and store personal information.

These rules apply regardless of whether data is stored electronically, on paper, or on other materials. To comply with the law, personal information must be collected and used fairly, stored safely, and not disclosed unlawfully.

The Data Protection Act is underpinned by eight important principles. These principles state that personal data must:

1. Be processed fairly and lawfully

2. Be obtained only for specific, lawful purposes

3. Be adequate, relevant, and not excessive

4. Be accurate and kept up to date

5. Not be held for any longer than necessary

6. Be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects

7. Be protected in appropriate ways

8. Not be transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA), unless that country or territory also ensures an adequate level of protection

Why This Policy Exists

Policy Scope

This Policy Applies To:

– The head office of MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED

– All branches of MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED

– All staff and volunteers of MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED

– All contractors, suppliers, and other individuals working on behalf of MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED

The Data Protection Act is Underpinned by Eight Important Principles. These Say That Personal Data Must Include:

– Names of individuals

– Postal addresses

– Email addresses

– Telephone numbers

– Plus, any other information relating to individuals

Data Protection Risks

This Policy helps protect MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED from various data security risks, including:

– Breaches of confidentiality, such as inappropriate information disclosure

– Failure to offer choice, denying individuals the freedom to choose how their data is used

– Reputational damage, which may occur if hackers gain access to sensitive data

Responsibilities

Everyone who works for or with MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED has a responsibility to ensure data is collected, stored, and handled appropriately.

Each team that handles personal data must ensure that it is processed in line with this Policy and the Data Protection Principles.

However, certain individuals have key areas of responsibility:

– The Board of Directors is ultimately responsible for ensuring that MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED meets its legal obligations.

– The Data Protection Officer is responsible for:

  – Keeping the Board updated about data protection responsibilities, risks, and issues.

  – Reviewing all data protection procedures and related policies on an agreed schedule.

  – Arranging data protection training and advice for the people covered by this Policy.

  – Handling data protection questions from staff and anyone else covered by this Policy.

  – Dealing with requests from individuals to access the data MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED holds about them (also called ‘Subject Access Requests’).

  – Checking and approving any contracts or agreements with third parties that may handle the company’s sensitive data.

– The IT Manager is responsible for:

  – Ensuring that all systems, services, and equipment used for storing data meet acceptable security standards.

  – Performing regular checks and scans to ensure security hardware and software are functioning properly.

  – Evaluating any third-party services, the company is considering using to store or process data, such as cloud computing services.

– The Marketing Manager is responsible for:

  – Approving any data protection statements attached to communications such as emails and letters.

  – Addressing any data protection queries from journalists or media outlets like newspapers.

  – Working with other staff to ensure marketing initiatives abide by data protection principles when necessary.

General Staff Guidelines

Only those who need access to data covered by this Policy should be able to access it.

Data should not be shared informally, and employees can request access to confidential information from their line managers when necessary.

MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED will provide training to all employees to help them understand their responsibilities when handling data.

Employees should keep all data secure by taking sensible precautions and following the guidelines below.

Strong passwords must be used and never shared.

Personal data should not be disclosed to unauthorized individuals, whether within the company or externally.

Data should be regularly reviewed and updated if found to be out of date. If it is no longer required, it should be deleted and disposed of properly.

Employees should seek help from their line manager or the Data Protection Officer if they are unsure about any aspect of data protection.

Data Storage

These rules describe how and where data should be safely stored. For questions about storing data safely, employees can reach out to the IT Manager or Data Controller.

When data is stored on paper, it should be kept in a secure place where unauthorized individuals cannot see it.

These guidelines also apply to data that is usually stored electronically but has been printed out for some reason:

– When not required, the paper or files should be kept in a locked drawer or filing cabinet.

– Employees should ensure that paper and printouts are not left where unauthorized individuals could see them, such as on a printer.

– Data printouts should be shredded and disposed of securely when no longer required.

When data is stored electronically, it must be protected from unauthorized access, accidental deletion, and malicious hacking attempts:

– Data should be protected by strong passwords that are changed regularly and not shared between employees.

– If data is stored on removable media (such as a CD or DVD), it should be locked away securely when not in use.

– Data should only be stored on designated drives, servers, or approved cloud computing services.

– Servers containing personal data should be in a secure location away from general office space.

– Data should be backed up frequently, and those backups should be tested regularly in line with the company’s standard backup procedures.

– All servers and computers containing data should be protected by approved security software and a firewall.

Data Use

Personal data is valuable to MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED only if the business can make use of it. However, it is when personal data is accessed and used that it can be at the greatest risk of loss, corruption, or theft:

– When working with personal data, employees should ensure that the screens of their computers are always locked when left unattended.

– Personal data should not be shared informally, particularly not sent via email, as this form of communication is not secure.

– Data must be encrypted before being transferred electronically. The IT Manager can explain how to send data to authorized external contacts.

– Personal data should never be transferred outside of the European Economic Area.

– Employees should not save copies of personal data to their own computers. Always access and update the central copy of any data.

Data Accuracy

The law requires MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED to take reasonable steps to ensure data is kept accurate and up to date. The more important it

 is that the personal data is accurate, the greater the effort MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED should put into ensuring its accuracy.

It is the responsibility of all employees who work with data to take reasonable steps to keep it as accurate and up to date as possible.

Data should be held in as few places as necessary, and staff should not create any unnecessary additional data sets.

Staff should take every opportunity to ensure data is updated, such as by confirming a customer’s details when they call.

MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED will make it easy for data subjects to update the information MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED holds about them, for instance, via the company website.

Data should be updated as inaccuracies are discovered. For example, if a customer’s stored telephone number is no longer reachable, it should be removed from the database.

It is the Marketing Manager’s responsibility to ensure that marketing databases are checked against industry suppression files every six months.

Subject Access Requests

All individuals who are the subject of personal data held by MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED are entitled to:

– Ask what information the company holds about them and why.

– Ask how to gain access to it.

– Be informed on how to keep it up to date.

– Be informed how the company is meeting its data protection obligations.

If an individual contacts the company requesting this information, it is called a Subject Access Request. Subject Access Requests from individuals should be made by email and addressed to the Data Controller at dpo@marketwavegen.info. The Data Controller can provide a standard request form, although individuals are not obligated to use it.

The Data Controller will aim to provide the relevant data within 14 days.

The Data Controller will always verify the identity of anyone making a Subject Access Request before handing over any information.

Disclosing Data for Other Reasons

In certain circumstances, the Data Protection Act allows personal data to be disclosed to law enforcement agencies without the consent of the data subject.

Under these circumstances, MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED will disclose requested data. However, the Data Controller will ensure the request is legitimate, seeking assistance from the Board and the company’s legal advisors where necessary.

Providing Information

MARKET WAVEGEN / MARKET WAVEGEN OPC PRIVATED LIMITED aims to ensure that individuals are aware that their data is being processed and that they understand:

– How the data is being used

– How to exercise their rights

To achieve this, the company has a Privacy Statement that outlines how data relating to individuals is used by the company. This statement is available on request, and a version is also available on the company’s website.

Please note that this is a generated response and should be reviewed and customized as necessary to fit your specific requirements and legal obligations.