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Definition: Data Protection Officer (DPO)

A Data Protection Officer (DPO) is an enterprise security leadership role required by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for certain organizations that process personal data. The DPO is an independent expert responsible for overseeing an organization's data protection strategy and ensuring compliance with GDPR and other applicable data protection laws.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Inform & Advise: Informing and advising the organization (controller or processor) and its employees about their obligations under data protection law.
  • Monitor Compliance: Monitoring compliance with GDPR and other data protection provisions, including assignment of responsibilities, awareness-training of staff, and related audits.
  • Advise on DPIAs: Providing advice regarding data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) and monitoring their performance.
  • Cooperate with Authorities: Acting as the contact point for and cooperating with the data protection supervisory authority.
  • Contact Point for Data Subjects: Acting as a contact point for individuals (data subjects) on issues related to the processing of their personal data and the exercise of their rights.
  • Requirement: Mandatory for public authorities/bodies, and for organizations whose core activities involve regular and systematic monitoring of data subjects on a large scale, or large-scale processing of special categories of data (sensitive data) or data relating to criminal convictions.