Regarding company internal regulations
Regular updates of internal regulations ensure legal compliance, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen corporate culture. Certain policies are particularly critical for an organization and require priority review, including:
- Code of conduct – defines acceptable behavioral and ethical standards for lawyers and employees, and regulates actions in complex situations, such as handling clients’ confidential information or conducting negotiations with them.
- Data protection policy – governs the collection, storage, and transfer of clients’ confidential information, including electronic correspondence, contracts, and internal notes, which is especially important in today’s environment.
- Remote work policies – establish rules for productivity, communication, and data security for remote employees. For example, companies may implement rules for processing corporate information on home devices to reduce the risk of data leaks.
- Internal processes policy – defines general rules for organizing the company’s day-to-day operations, including the use of corporate systems and tools, internal communications, financial procedures, and basic HR processes, in order to ensure consistency in employees’ actions and reduce operational risks.
At the same time, merely having a list of policies does not solve the problem if the documents do not reflect actual business processes. That is why updating internal regulations should begin with a brief internal mini-audit, during which the company identifies what data it works with, who has access to it, through which channels information is transmitted, and on which devices the work is performed.
The organization of employees’ working environments is of key importance. One effective solution is the use of corporate computers and laptops configured by a system administrator, which helps limit the risk of policy violations. For this purpose, employees are not allowed to install third-party software, use personal accounts or cloud services, or connect unauthorized extensions and integrations.
This also includes access control, where rights to information are granted strictly on a need-to-know basis and revoked once the work is completed. In addition, compliance with basic information security rules such as using secure networks, avoiding connections to public Wi-Fi, and refraining from opening suspicious emails or links significantly reduces the risk of confidential data breaches.
In summary, well-structured internal guidelines help maintain a high level of service, simplify the onboarding of new employees, and significantly reduce the time spent answering recurring questions. In today’s environment, it is also possible to manage internal regulations through AI solutions that digitise these policies and help interpret and adjust workflows, effectively acting as a more experienced colleague who explains procedures and answers questions during the onboarding process.
Regarding the processing of personal data
Proper management of personal data of clients, contractors, and employees is not only a legal requirement but also a key factor in building trust and maintaining a strong reputation. Failure to comply with applicable Ukrainian legislation or international regulations (such as the GDPR) particularly for companies working with foreign clients may result in significant fines, legal claims, and reputational losses.
The protection of clients’ data is also crucial from a practical perspective, as clients expect their information to be processed transparently and securely. Taking this into account, we recommend reviewing and refining the following privacy-related documents, in particular:
- Privacy Policy – a core internal company document that defines the general principles and approaches to personal data processing and explains to employees how personal data is handled within the organization;
- Privacy Notice – the main external document that explains to users (clients) how their personal data is processed within a specific interaction and is usually published on the company’s website. It informs clients or users about what data is collected in a particular situation (for example, when filling out a website form, registering, or communicating via messengers), the purposes of such processing, and the rights of the individual.
At the same time, companies must align their policies with clients’ standards and security requirements and ensure proper compatibility of data processing practices. For example, when transferring documents via cloud services, it is essential to ensure that encryption and access control mechanisms comply with both parties’ internal standards as well as regulatory requirements.
In addition to general rules, companies should also take into account industry-specific and subject-matter regulations related to biometrics, the company’s activities, and the use of artificial intelligence. For instance, if a company uses AI for analytics or process automation, internal standards should clearly define what data is processed, who has access to it, and how transparency toward clients is ensured.
In summary, the total amount of GDPR fines in the EU is approaching €7 billion, largely due to violations of user interaction terms and policies. However, it is important to remember that the regulation applies not to organizations as such, but to internal processes. Therefore, even well-drafted documents cannot eliminate potential risks without properly established internal processes and well-trained employees.
