StorMagic Ltd

DATA PROTECTION POLICY

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The Organisation needs to collect and use certain types of information about staff, clients and other individuals who come into contact with the company in order to operate. In addition, it may be required by law to collect and use certain types of information to comply with statutory obligations of Local Authorities, government agencies and other bodies.

This personal information must be dealt with properly however it is collected, recorded and used – whether on paper, in a computer, or recorded on other material – and there are safeguards to ensure this is within the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 1998.

We regard the lawful and correct treatment of personal information as very important to successful operations, and to maintaining confidence between those with whom we deal and ourselves. We ensure that our Organisation treats personal information lawfully and correctly.

Most businesses hold personal data on their customers, employees and partners. The explosion in the use of the Internet, electronic communication and computerisation of business data has led to an increase in the importance of privacy. Breaches of computerised data security have prompted the introduction of legislation on a national and European level.

These include:

  • Human Rights Act 1998
  • Freedom of Information Act 2000
  • Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003
  • Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
  • Telecommunications (Lawful Business Practice) Interception of Communications Regulations 2000
  • Data Protection Act 1998
  • Computer Misuse Act 1990
  • European Union General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR)

The General Data Protection Regulation 2016 replaces the EU Data Protection Directive of 1995 and supersedes the laws of individual Member States that were developed in compliance with the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC. Its purpose is to protect the “rights and freedoms” of living individuals, and to ensure that personal data is not processed without their knowledge, and, wherever possible, that it is processed with their consent.

The top management of StorMagic Ltd are strongly committed to the rights of individuals whose data they collect and process and will comply with UK and EU laws related to personal information in- line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

To achieve this the top management of StorMagic Ltd have implemented a Personal Information Management System (PIMS) which is maintained and improved continuously.

The scope of the PIMS for StorMagic Ltd may cover the whole of the organisation or a specific part of the company defined by top management. The scope needs to consider location of operations, jurisdiction, and management responsibilities.

The PIMS, that the top management of StorMagic Ltd has implemented, should meet its requirements under EU GDPR for the management of personal information and will be continuously maintained and improved. The PIMS should also ensure that the objectives of StorMagic Ltd and obligations under the law are met and it should ensure that controls are in place that reflect the level of risk that StorMagic Ltd is willing to accept. In addition, the PIMS should ensure that StorMagic Ltd is able to meet all the regulatory, statutory and contractual obligations that are applicable. Most importantly the PIMS must enable StorMagic Ltd to protect the interests of individuals and all other relevant stakeholders.

To comply with the requirements of GDPR StorMagic Ltd will:

  • Process personal information only where this is strictly necessary for legitimate organisational purposes.
  • Collect only the minimum personal information required for these purposes and not process excessive amounts of personal information.
  • Provide clear information to individuals about how their personal information will be used and who will be using the information.
  • Only process relevant and adequate personal information
    Process personal information fairly and lawfully.
  • Keep all personal information secure.
  • Maintain an inventory of the categories of personal information that is processed
    Ensure they keep personal information accurate and up to date.
  • Retain personal information only for as long as is necessary for legal or regulatory reasons or, for legitimate organisational purposes.
  • Respect individuals’ rights in relation to their personal information as defined in the GDPR.Only transferring personal information outside the EU Member States in circumstances where it can be adequately protected and aligned with EU GDPR Regulations.
  • Only apply exemptions permitted by data protection legislation.
  • Develop and implement a PIMS to enable the policy to be implemented.
  • Identify internal and external stakeholders and the degree to which these stakeholders are involved in the governance of StorMagic Ltd.’s PIMS.
  • Identify staff with specific responsibility and accountability for the ongoing maintenance and support of the PIMS.

The policy applies to all Employees and Processors of StorMagic Ltd such as outsourced suppliers. Any breach of the GDPR will be considered as a breach of the disciplinary policy and could also be considered a criminal offence, potentially resulting in prosecution.

All third parties working with or for StorMagic Ltd, and who have or may have access to personal information, will be expected to comply with this policy. All third parties who require access to personal data will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement before access is permitted. This agreement will ensure that the third party has the same legal obligations as StorMagic Ltd. This will also include an agreement that StorMagic Ltd can audit compliance with the agreement.

GDPR will apply to all controllers that are established in the EU (European Union) who process the personal data of data subjects, in the context of that establishment. It will also apply to controllers outside of the EU that process personal data in order to offer goods and services, or monitor the behaviour of data subjects who are resident in the EU.

The location, for the purposes of GDPR, of any data controller located in the EU will be the place where the controller makes the key decisions related to the data processing purpose. This is StorMagic Ltd HQ.

StorMagic Ltd
The Quadrant
2430/2440, Aztec West
Almondsbury
Bristol
BS32 4AQ
United Kingdom

Key Definitions

Personal data – this is defined as any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

Special categories of personal data – personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade-union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.

Data controller – the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union or Member State law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by Union or Member State law.

Data subject – any living individual who is the subject of personal data held by an organisation.

Processing – any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.

Profiling – is any form of automated processing of personal data intended to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, or to analyse, or predict that person’s performance at work, economic situation, location, health, personal preferences, reliability, or behaviour. This definition is linked to the right of the data subject to object to profiling and a right to be informed about the existence of profiling, of measures based on profiling and the envisaged effects of profiling on the individual.

Personal data breach – a breach of security leading to the accidental, or unlawful, destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed. There is an obligation on the controller to report personal data breaches to the supervisory authority and where the breach is likely to adversely affect the personal data or privacy of the data subject.

Data subject consent – means any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data.

Child – the GDPR defines a child as anyone under the age of 16 years old. The processing of personal data of a child under 13 years of age is only lawful if parental or custodian consent has been obtained.

Third party – a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or body other than the data subject, controller, processor and persons who, under the direct authority of the controller or processor, are authorised to process personal data.

Filing system – any structured set of personal data which is accessible according to specific criteria, whether centralised, decentralised or dispersed on a functional or geographical basis.

Company Responsibilities

StorMagic Ltd is a data controller and data processor as defined under the GDPR.
Senior Management and all those in managerial or supervisory roles throughout StorMagic Ltd are responsible for developing and encouraging good information handling practices within the organisation; responsibilities are set out in individual job descriptions.

A GDPR Officer, a member of the senior management team, is accountable to the top management of StorMagic Ltd for the management of personal information within StorMagic Ltd and for ensuring that compliance with data protection legislation and good practice can be demonstrated. This accountability includes the development and implementation of the PIMS and security and risk management to ensure compliance.

StorMagic Ltd has appointed a GDPR Officer who is responsible for day to day compliance with this policy. The GDPR Officer is responsible for ensuring that StorMagic Ltd complies with the GDPR in relation to all aspects of data processing. The GDPR Officer has direct responsibility for policy and procedures, including Subject Access Requests. The GDPR Officer is also the person to whom all staff will go to seek guidance regarding GDPR compliance.

It should be noted that compliance with GDPR requirements remains the responsibility of all staff who process or control personal information for StorMagic Ltd. All members of staff employed by StorMagic Ltd are also responsible for ensuring that any personal data that is about them that is supplied by them to StorMagic Ltd is accurate and up-to-date.

The Training Policy StorMagic Ltd defines specifically what training is required for all staff, including specific roles.

Risk Assessment in relation to GDPR

StorMagic Ltd needs to ensure that it is aware of any risks associated with the processing of all types of personal information. A Risk Assessment procedure has been implemented and is used by StorMagic Ltd to assess any risk to individuals during processing of their personal information. Assessments will also be completed by StorMagic Ltd for any processing that is undertaken on their behalf by any third-party organisation. StorMagic Ltd will also, through the application of the Risk Assessment procedure, ensure that any identified risks are managed appropriately to reduce the risk of non-compliance.

Where processing of personal information may result in a high risk to the “rights and freedoms” of natural persons, StorMagic Ltd shall complete a data protection impact assessment, prior to conducting the processing, to ensure the personal information is protected. This assessment may also be used to apply to a number of similar processing scenarios with a similar level of risk.

Where, as a result of a Data Protection Impact Assessment, it is clear that StorMagic Ltd will process personal information in a manner that may cause damage and/or distress to the data subjects, the GDPR Officer must review the process before StorMagic Ltd proceeds to process the information. If the GDPR Officer decides that there are significant risks to the data subject he will escalate to the ICO for final guidance.

Principles of Data Protection

Any processing of personal data must be conducted in accordance with the following data protection principles of the Regulation, and StorMagic Ltd.’s policies and procedures within the PIMS will ensure compliance.

Personal data must be processed lawfully, fairly and transparently. StorMagic Ltd.’s Fair Processing Policy details how this is achieved.

The GDPR introduces the requirement for transparency whereby the controller has transparent and easily accessible policies relating to the processing of personal data and the exercise of individuals’ “rights and freedoms”.

Information must be communicated to the data subject in an intelligible form using clear and plain language.

The specific information that must be provided to the data subject must as a minimum include:

  • The identity and the contact details of the controller and, if any, of the controller’s representative.
  • The contact details of the GDPR Officer, where applicable.
  • The purposes of the processing for which the personal data are intended as well as the legal basis for the processing.
  • The period for which the personal data will be stored.
  • The existence of the rights to request access, rectification, erasure or to object to the processing.
  • The categories of personal data concerned.
  • The recipients or categories of recipients of the personal data, where applicable.
  • Where applicable, that the controller intends to transfer personal data to a recipient in a third country and the level of protection afforded to the data.
  • Any further information necessary to guarantee fair processing.

Personal data can only be collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes. Fair Processing Policy.

Personal data must be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for processing. The GDPR Officer is responsible for ensuring that information, which is not strictly necessary for the purpose for which it is obtained, is not collected.

All data collection methods (electronic or paper-based), including data collection requirements in new information systems, must be approved by the GDPR Officer and approval recorded.

The StorMagic website uses cookies to enhance and improve the experience of people viewing it.

A cookie is an information file that is stored by a browser (such as Google Chrome or Internet Explorer) on your computer or mobile phone. When you return to the website at a later date, the cookies use information gathered about your visit to enable features such as pre-filled forms.

StorMagic uses the information provided by cookies for the following purposes:

  • To enhance the functionality and performance of the website by tracking usage statistics and preferences.
  • To deliver content, including advertisements, based on your activity on the StorMagic website.

You have the choice to Accept or Decline allowing cookies to be used by the StorMagic Ltd website when you first visit the website. Furthermore, you can amend your cookie settings for any particular website at any time through the settings of your internet browser.

If you choose to Decline of receiving cookies you will receive the following message,
“We won’t track your information when you visit our site. But in order to comply with your preferences, we’ll have to use just one tiny cookie so that you’re not asked to make this choice again.”

If you clear the cookies through your internet browser and you visit the site again you will need to Decline when you visit our website again.

The service providers we use to serve and host our advertisements and deliver our marketing e-mails use cookies to track the number of times the website is accessed and whether the website was accessed from an advertisement. A cookie is placed on your device only if and when you click on an advertisement or click a link in an email. The cookie generated from the advertisement or e-mail does not contain any personally identifiable information and will remain on your hard drive until you delete it.

The GDPR Officer will ensure that all data collection methods are reviewed annually by internal audit or external experts to ensure that collection continues to be adequate, relevant and not excessive.

The GDPR Officer is responsible for ensuring that any data that is shown to have been obtained excessively, or is not specifically required by StorMagic Ltd, is securely deleted or destroyed in line with Data Retention Policy.

Other Considerations

Personal data must be accurate and kept up to date.

Data that is kept for a long time must be reviewed and updated as necessary. Any data that is considered to be inaccurate or likely to be inaccurate must be removed.

Top management is responsible for ensuring that all staff are trained in the importance of collecting accurate data and maintaining it.

All individuals are responsible for ensuring that any data held by StorMagic Ltd is accurate and up-to-date. Any data submitted by an individual to a company, such as via a registration form, will be considered to be accurate at the time of receipt.

Employees or other individuals should notify StorMagic Ltd of any changes in personal information to ensure personal information is kept up to date. It is the responsibility of StorMagic Ltd to ensure that any notification of changes to personal information is implemented.

The GDPR Officer is responsible for ensuring that all necessary actions are taken to ensure personal information is accurate and up to date. This should also take into account the volume of data collected, the speed with which it might change and any other relevant factors.

The GDPR Officer will review, at least once a year, all the personal data processed by StorMagic Ltd, held in the Data Register. The GDPR Officer will note any data that is no longer required in the context of the registered purpose and will ensure that it is appropriately removed and securely disposed of in line with the Data Retention Policy.

If a third party organisations has provided inaccurate or out-of-date personal information, the GDPR Officer is responsible for informing them that the personal information is inaccurate and/or out-of-date and advise them that the information should no longer be used. The GDPR Officer should also ensure that any correction to the personal information is passed on to the third party.

Personal Data Considerations

Personal data must be kept in a form such that the data subject can be identified only as long as is necessary for processing.

Where personal data is retained beyond the processing date, it will be minimised in order to protect the identity of the data subject in the event of a data breach.

Personal data will be retained in line with the retention of records procedure and, once its retention date is passed, it must be securely destroyed.

The GDPR Officer must specifically approve any data retention that exceeds the retention periods defined in the Data Retention Policy, and must ensure that the justification is clearly identified and in line with the requirements of the data protection legislation. This approval must be written.

Personal data must be processed in a manner that ensures its security

Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data. These controls have been selected on the basis of identified risks to personal data, and the potential for damage or distress to individuals whose data is being processed. Security controls will be subject to audit and review.

Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Union Member States unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the ‘rights and freedoms’ of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.

The transfer of personal data outside of the EU Member States is prohibited unless one or more of the specified safeguards or exceptions apply.

Safeguards

An assessment of the adequacy by the data controller taking into account the following factors:

  • The nature of the information being transferred.
  • The country or territory of the origin, and final destination, of the information.
  • How the information will be used and for how long.
  • The laws and practices of the country of the transferee, including relevant codes of practice and international obligations.

Binding corporate rules

StorMagic Ltd may adopt approved Binding Corporate Rules for the transfer of data outside the EU Member States. This requires submission to the relevant Supervisory Authority for approval of the rules that StorMagic Ltd is seeking to rely upon.

Model contract clauses

StorMagic Ltd may adopt approved model contract clauses for the transfer of data outside of the EU Member States. If StorMagic Ltd adopts the model contract clauses approved by the relevant Supervisory Authority there is an automatic recognition of adequacy.

Exceptions

In the absence of an adequacy decision, including binding corporate rules, for the transfer of personal data to a third country, or an international organisation, it shall take place only on one of the following conditions:

  • The data subject has explicitly consented to the proposed transfer, after having been informed of the possible risks of such transfers for the data subject due to the absence of an adequacy decision and appropriate safeguards.
  • The transfer is necessary for the performance of a contract between the data subject and the controller or the implementation of pre-contractual measures taken at the data subject’s request.
  • The transfer is necessary for the conclusion or performance of a contract concluded in the interest of the data subject between the controller and another natural or legal person.
  • The transfer is necessary for important reasons of public interest.
  • The transfer is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
  • The transfer is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of other persons, where the data subject is physically or legally incapable of giving consent.
  • The transfer is made from a register which according to Union or Member State law is intended to provide information to the public and which is open to consultation either by the public in general or by any person who can demonstrate a legitimate interest, but only to the extent that the conditions laid down in Union or Member State law for consultation are fulfilled in the particular case.

A list of countries that satisfy the adequacy requirements of the Commission are published in the Official Journal of the European Union and in the GDPR 2016.

Accountability

The GDPR states that the controller is not only responsible for ensuring compliance but for demonstrating that each processing operation complies with the requirements of the GDPR.

Data subjects’ rights

Data subjects have the following rights regarding data processing, and the data that is recorded about them:

  • To make subject access requests regarding the nature of information held and to whom it has been disclosed.
  • To prevent processing likely to cause damage or distress.
  • To prevent processing for purposes of direct marketing.
  • To be informed about the mechanics of automated decision-taking process that will significantly affect them.
  • Not to have significant decisions that will affect them taken solely by automated process.
  • To sue for compensation if they suffer damage by any contravention of the GDPR.
  • To take action to rectify, block, erased, including the right to be forgotten, or destroy inaccurate data.
  • To request the ICO to assess whether any provision of the GDPR has been contravened.
  • The right for personal data to be provided to them in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, and the right to have that data transmitted to another controller.
  • The right to object to any automated profiling without consent.

Data subjects may make data access requests as described in the Fair Processing Policy. This procedure also describes how StorMagic Ltd will ensure that its response to the data access request complies with the requirements of the Regulation.

Complaints

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) you have a number of rights with regard to your personal data. You have the right to request from us access to and rectification or erasure of your personal data, the right to restrict processing, object to processing as well as in certain circumstances the right to data portability.
StorMagic Ltd is the controller and processor of data for the purposes of GDPR.

If you have any concerns as to how your data is processed you can contact: The GDPR Offer at [email protected] or you can write using the address below:

GDPR Officer
StorMagic Ltd
The Quadrant
2430/2440, Aztec West
Almondsbury
Bristol
BS32 4AQ
United Kingdom

You have the right to lodge a complaint to the Information Commissioners’ Office if you believe that we have not complied with the requirements of GDPR with regard to your personal data, details of which can be found on the ICO website at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/ or by calling 0303 123 1113

Consent

StorMagic Ltd understands ‘consent’ to mean that it has been explicitly and freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which he or she by statement, or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to him or her. The consent of the data subject can be withdrawn at any time.

In addition, StorMagic Ltd understands ‘consent’ to mean that the data subject has been fully informed of the intended processing and has signified their agreement, while in a fit state of mind to do so and without pressure being exerted upon them. Consent obtained under duress or on the basis of misleading information will not be a valid basis for processing. There must be some active communication between the parties which demonstrate active consent. Consent cannot be inferred from non-response to a communication.

Data Security

All StorMagic Ltd Staff that are responsible for any personal data which StorMagic Ltd holds must keep it securely and ensure that it is not disclosed under any conditions to any third party unless that third party has been specifically authorised by StorMagic Ltd to receive that information and has entered into a confidentiality agreement.

All personal data should be accessible only to those who need to use it, and access may only be granted in line with the Access Control Policy. You should form a judgment based upon the sensitivity and value of the information in question, but personal data must be kept:

  • In a lockable room with controlled access; and/or
  • In a locked drawer or filing cabinet; and/or
  • If computerised, it must be password protected.
  • Stored on encrypted removable media in line with the Data Protection Policy.

Care must be taken to ensure that PC screens and terminals are not visible except to authorise Staff of StorMagic Ltd.

Manual records may not be left where they can be accessed by unauthorised personnel and may not be removed from business premises without explicit [written] authorisation. As soon as manual records are no longer required for day-to-day client support, they must be removed to secure archiving.

Personal data may only be deleted or disposed of in line with the Data Retention Policy. Manual records that have reached their retention date are to be shredded and disposed of as ‘confidential waste’. Hard drives of redundant PCs are to be removed and immediately destroyed as required by the Data Retention Policy before disposal. Because of the increased risk all Staff must be specifically authorised to process data off-site.

Rights of access to data

Data subjects have the right to access any personal data (i.e. data about them) which is held StorMagic Ltd in electronic format and manual records which form part of a relevant filing system. This includes the right to inspect confidential personal references received by StorMagic Ltd, and information obtained from third-party organisations about that person.

Disclosure of data

StorMagic Ltd must ensure that personal data is not disclosed to unauthorised third parties which includes family members, friends, government bodies, and in certain circumstances, the Police. All Employees/Staff should exercise caution when asked to disclose personal data held on another individual to a third party. It is important to bear in mind whether or not disclosure of the information is relevant to, and necessary for, the conduct of StorMagic Ltd.’s business.

DPR permits a number of exemptions where certain disclosure without consent is permitted, as long as the information is requested for one or more of the following purposes:

To safeguard national security:

  • Prevention or detection of crime including the apprehension or prosecution of offenders;
  • Assessment or collection of tax duty;
  • Discharge of regulatory functions (includes health, safety and welfare of persons at work);
  • To prevent serious harm to a third party;
  • To protect the vital interests of the individual, this refers to life and death situations.

All requests to provide data for one of these reasons must be supported by appropriate paperwork and all such disclosures must be specifically authorised by the GDPR Officer.

Retention and disposal of data

Personal data may not be retained for longer than it is required. Once a member of staff has left StorMagic Ltd, it may not be necessary to retain all the information held on them. Some data will be kept for longer periods than others. StorMagic Ltd.’s data retention and data disposal procedures, Data Retention Policy, will apply in all cases.

Disposal of records

Personal data must be disposed of in a way that protects the “rights and freedoms” of data subjects (e.g. shredding, disposal as confidential waste, secure electronic deletion) and in line with the secure disposal procedure, Data Retention Policy.

E-mail and Internet privacy

The inappropriate use of e-mail and the Internet by employees, e.g. using the Internet for non-work purposes, can have significant consequences for our Organisation. This can be in terms of:

  • Embarrassment/damage to the Organisation’s reputation
  • Loss of productivity
  • Increased risk of liability and legal action, e.g. for sexist or racist e-mails
  • Increased virus risk

To avoid inappropriate usage, we have introduced security electronic safeguards. A firewall checks, guarantees and manages e-mail attachments.

Acceptable use of E-mail and the Internet

The Organisation’s employees will be kept fully informed about overall information security procedures and the importance of their role within these procedures. Similarly, manual filing systems are held in secure locations and only authorised employees can access them.

RESPONSIBILITIES & REVIEW

The GDPR Officer has overall responsibility for the administration and implementation of the Organisation’s Data Protection Policy.

Each Department Manager will assume authority for the compliance of the employees within their department.

This Policy will be updated as necessary to reflect best practice in data management, security and control and to ensure compliance with any changes or amendments made to the Data Protection Act 1998 and the GDPR.

The PIMS Data Protection Policy will, under normal circumstances, be managed and reviewed annually. The reviews to the Policy will be subject to scrutiny and, from time to time, updates and re-issues will be circulated.

However, the Policy will be reviewed sooner in the event of any one or more of the following:

  • Weakness in the Policy is highlighted
  • Weaknesses in hardware and software controls are identified
  • In case of new threat(s) or changed risks
  • Changes in legislative requirements
  • Changes in Government, company or other directives and requirements.