What questions should you ask your data protection officer?
- Where are our data risks?
- Are we compliant?
- What’s our breach plan?
- Is the staff trained?
- What should we improve?
Overview
- From identifying data risks to checking compliance, a proactive conversation with your DPO helps uncover weak spots, meet legal requirements, and prepare for threats before they become breaches.
- Your DPO can guide staff training, breach response, and continuous improvements, ensuring your whole organization stays informed, aligned, and committed to protecting personal data.
Hiring or appointing a Data Protection Officer (DPO) is a smart move, but it’s only the beginning. To ensure your organization stays compliant, secure, and well-prepared, you need ongoing communication with your DPO. Asking the right questions helps clarify your privacy posture, uncover blind spots, and align data practices with current laws and business goals.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the most important questions to ask your Data Protection Officer. This way, you can assess your level of compliance, reinforce accountability, and build a stronger culture of data protection across your organization.
Where are Our Data Risks?
Cybersecurity incidents are rising across every industry. In 2023 alone, 3,205 publicly reported data compromises affected over 353 million individuals. An alarming 78% increase over the previous year. These figures underline why organizations must have a clear understanding of where their data is most vulnerable.
Personal data also continues to be a primary target. Nearly 46% of all breaches involve customer PII (personally identifiable information), such as tax IDs, email addresses, phone numbers, and residential details. These credentials alone account for over 60% of data breaches.
That’s why, by asking your DPO, “Where are our data risks?”, you open the door to proactive and informed risk management. This question allows your DPO to assess not only technical vulnerabilities but also operational blind spots—like shadow data, third-party exposures, and internal processes that may fall short of privacy standards.
By regularly asking about risk areas, you ensure your business isn’t just reacting to threats but actively preparing for them.
Are We Compliant?
Regulatory bodies are getting stricter, and the penalties are growing. In the past year, for instance, GDPR fines reached over €1.6 billion, with the average fine rising to €2.5 million. That’s a 40% jump from the year before.
But the financial cost is only part of the story. Over half of organizations say the indirect impact, like losing customers, damaging their reputation, or facing operational delays, is even more painful than the fine itself. Once trust is broken, it’s hard to win back.
Asking your Data Protection Officer if your company is compliant gives you the clarity you need. Your DPO is responsible for monitoring your policies, running audits, and advising on legal obligations. They can help you identify gaps, fix issues early, and prove to customers and regulators that your business takes privacy seriously.
What’s Our Breach Plan?
No system is 100% secure, which makes having a breach response plan essential. Your DPO should have a documented incident response procedure and be able to walk you through it clearly.
Ask your DPO: What steps are in place if there’s a data breach? Who’s involved? How quickly are stakeholders informed? The National Privacy Commission requires notification within 72 hours of discovering a breach, so time is critical.
Your breach plan should include clear roles, a communication strategy, and a record-keeping process. It should also define what qualifies as a breach, since not all incidents may meet the threshold for notification, but still require internal attention.
Having this conversation helps you confirm that everyone, from executives to IT and customer service, is aligned and ready to act swiftly and transparently in case of a breach.
Is the Staff Trained?
Privacy protection isn’t just the job of your DPO but a company-wide responsibility. Training is one of the most effective ways to reduce human error, which is a leading cause of data breaches.
Your DPO should provide regular training sessions for staff, covering basic data protection principles, acceptable data handling, and response procedures for suspicious activity. Ask how often training is conducted, who attends, and what topics are covered.
You should also check if specialized teams (like HR, marketing, or IT) receive targeted guidance based on their roles. For example, staff handling customer data should understand data subject rights, while IT teams need clear procedures for securing systems.
Ongoing awareness ensures employees know how to protect data in their day-to-day tasks, making your entire organization more resilient.
What Should We Improve?
Even with solid policies and protocols, there’s always room to improve. This question helps keep your data protection program forward-looking and adaptable.
Ask your DPO to identify specific areas where your organization can do better. This could be introducing stronger encryption, improving record-keeping practices, or refining internal approval processes for new data uses.
Moreover, according to a 2023 study by IBM, organizations that invest in automation and AI for privacy saw a 50% reduction in the cost of data breaches. So, you might also want to explore whether your organization is ready to implement privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) or if you need better metrics for tracking compliance efforts.
Asking your DPO what to improve next helps ensure you’re continuously strengthening your data protection posture.
Key Takeaway
The right questions to ask your Data Protection Officer is one of the most effective ways to stay proactive about data privacy. These conversations keep leadership informed, guide smarter decisions, and show your commitment to protecting personal information.
At Data Protect, we help businesses across the Philippines build strong, compliant data protection programs. Our certified DPOs offer hands-on support, expert insights, and tailored recommendations. If you need help assessing your current practices or don’t have a DPO yet, reach out to us—we’re ready to support your next step toward better privacy.