Am I allowed to store personal data in the cloud?
January 1, 2022 | 50,00 EUR | answered by Andrea Schlattmann
Dear Data Protection Lawyer,
My name is Zofia Schillinger and I work as an independent physiotherapist. In my practice, a lot of personal data is generated daily, such as names, addresses, dates of birth, and health data of my patients. So far, I have stored this data exclusively on my computer. However, as I am using more and more mobile devices and also want to access my data on the go, I am considering storing it in the cloud.
My concern is that storing data in the cloud may lead to data leaks or privacy violations. I have heard that there have been cases in the past where data stored in the cloud was hacked and unauthorized individuals had access to it. I want to make sure that the sensitive data of my patients is protected and does not fall into the wrong hands.
Therefore, I am wondering if it is even allowed to store personal data in the cloud and what precautions I need to take to ensure the privacy of my patients. Are there specific requirements or certifications that I should consider? What measures can I take to enhance the security of my data in the cloud?
Thank you in advance for your help and advice.
Sincerely,
Zofia Schillinger
Dear Mrs. Schillinger,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the storage of personal data in the cloud as an independent physiotherapist. It is understandable that you are concerned about the data protection of your patients' data and want to ensure that they are safe and secure.
In principle, it is allowed to store personal data in the cloud as long as the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are followed. The GDPR sets strict rules to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. It is important that you, as the person responsible for data processing, ensure that the cloud providers meet the requirements of the GDPR and have implemented appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect the data.
To ensure the data protection of your patients' data in the cloud, you should first check if the cloud provider is certified. There are various certifications such as ISO 27001, which certify that the provider has implemented adequate security measures. Make sure that the provider specifies the location of the servers and that they are located in the EU to comply with the requirements of the GDPR.
Furthermore, you should ensure that the data is encrypted during transmission and storage. Encryption helps to protect the data from unauthorized access. Regular backups of the data are also recommended to be able to restore the data in case of data loss or corruption.
To enhance the security of your data in the cloud, I recommend using strong passwords, regularly changing passwords, and restricting access rights to the data. Also, train your employees in handling sensitive data and raise their awareness of data protection issues.
Finally, I would like to emphasize the importance of regularly reviewing and adjusting security measures to keep up with the constantly changing threats in the field of data security.
I hope this information is helpful to you and I am available for any further questions.
Best regards,
Andrea Schlattmann
