Data Protection Practitioner (S-DPP)

Data Protection Practitioner Course Modules

Module 1 – Strategic Considerations

• Translate corporate goals and needs into a vision on handling personal data, with a view to building enterprise-wide commitment to data protection
• Turn your vision on data protection into an effective implementation strategy
• Define data protection principles and develop a strategic data protection policy to support and govern the execution of the strategy
• Understand the importance of creating a data inventory and the principles guiding the creation of such an inventory
• Understand the (possible) need for a published privacy notice and the implications thereof
• Draft a GDPR-compliant privacy notice

Module 2 – Impact and Risk Assessment

• Understand the concepts of risk management, risk analysis and Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)
• Perform a (basic) DPIA, identify threats to data protection and identify effective measures to mitigate the risks
• Define data protection (improvement) requirements for business processes, the internal organisation and the technology used, based on policies and DPIA outcomes

Module 3 – Operations

• Understand the impact of data protection on regular operations
• Identify specific legal and regulatory requirements relevant for specific operations
• Incorporate data protection requirements into new and existing procedures in a pragmatic and effective manner
• Organise data subject rights management, data processing agreement and data breach handling processes and documentation
• Assess what is required and/or allowed when it comes to upholding policies, laws and regulations in an organisation

Module 4 – Design and Implementation

• Use behavioural theory basics to design an effective data protection awareness program
• Understand how technological tools can support data protection
• Implement PET (Privacy-Enhancing Technologies) and, in particular, cryptography
• Understand the concepts of privacy by design/default
• Translate privacy by design/default to practical policies and procedures
• Define generic data protection requirements for projects

Module 5 – Governance

• Identify required data for reporting to support good governance and decision-making
• Translate the concept of management systems to a Data Protection Management System (DPMS)
• Prepare for an (external) audit on GDPR-compliance
• Define and implement a basic third-party assurance process

Data Protection Practitioner Certification Exam

The Data Protection Practitioner certification exam is conducted by the SECO-Institute, Europe’s leading security and continuity certification body. The exam voucher is included in the course fee, but you need to schedule your exam with the SECO-Institute. Upon successful completion of the exam, you will receive an exam certificate and an invitation to register your official SECO Data Protection Practitioner (S-DPP) certification title. By activating your certification title, you will become a certified professional in your field and you will receive a shareable digital badge to verify your competence to clients, employers and peers.

Exam information

• Exam language: English (you are allowed to answer open questions in Dutch)
• Exam delivery: online exam with remote proctoring (exam voucher included in the training fee)
• Exam type: 10 multiple-choice questions, 5 open questions and one case study
• Exam time: 120 minutes

SECO-Data Protection Practitioner Certification (S-DPP)

The SECO Privacy & Data Protection Practitioner certification exam covers high-level data protection competencies that are essential for Data Protection Officers and any professional aspiring to pursue a career in privacy. In particular, an S-PDPP certificate verifies your ability to:

• Translate corporate goals and needs into a vision on handling personal data and build enterprise-wide commitment to data protection;
• Draft and implement a strategic data protection policy in line with the GDPR’s data protection principles;
• Draft a GDPR-compliant privacy notice;
• Create data inventories and data flow maps;
• Perform a Data Protection Impact Assessment and identify appropriate organisational and technical measures to reduce data protection risks;
• Incorporate data protection into business processes and projects;
• Establish procedures for receiving and managing data subject requests and complaints;
• Identify elements to include in a data processing agreement;
• Implement a process for managing data processing agreements;
• Document data breaches and draft a data breach procedure;
• Create and maintain processing registers;
• Translate ‘privacy by design and by default’ principles into policies and procedures;
• Design a privacy awareness program;
• Ensure compliance with the GDPR’s accountability principle through the use of monitoring tools and effective documentation;
• Monitor the maturity of a data protection program and identify compliance gaps;
• Design data protection reports that support good governance and decision- making;
• Prepare for GDPR compliance audits and investigations by the supervisory authority.

What are the benefits of a SECO-Data Protection Practitioner (S-DPP) certificate?

Your S-DPP certificate and digital badge demonstrate that you possess crucial knowledge and skills employers look for in Data Protection Officers and privacy professionals. With data protection jobs on the rise and a severe shortage of data protection specialists worldwide, earning an S-DPP title is a unique opportunity to kickstart a rewarding career in a constantly expanding field.

Privacy and data protection careers: The GDPR has created a persistent demand for Data Protection Officers. In 2017, it was estimated that the new European Regulation would create a minimum of 75,000 DPO jobs worldwide. Consequently, research in 2018 showed that 92% of all companies preparing for GDPR-compliance were planning to appoint a DPO, even if not required by law. As GDPR-compliance is a dynamic process and digitalisation brings new privacy challenges, the demand for Data Protection Officers will only continue to grow. In parallel, as data protection evolves, new privacy and data protection roles emerge. Examples of new data protection job titles include GDPR tester, GDPR paralegal, data protection analyst and GDPR consultant.

IT and information security careers: Data protection skills are not only important for Data Protection Officers. According to ITJobswatch.co.uk, around nine percent of information security jobs advertised specifically ask for a working knowledge of the GDPR. Examples include information security officers, IT security consultants, IT controllers, data architects and data managers.