The Electronic Data Collection (EDC) framework governs the responsible collection, storage, and usage of digital information across various industries. It establishes guidelines to ensure that organizations collecting data through online forms, applications, IoT devices, and other digital means do so in a transparent, secure, and ethical manner. EDC emphasizes data minimization, requiring businesses to collect only the information necessary for a specified purpose while ensuring proper encryption, access controls, and cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data.
Protect the confidentiality integrity and availability of collected data.
Encrypt collected data when stored on systems and devices.
Encrypt collected data when transmitted over networks.
Store collected data in secure environments with appropriate physical and logical controls.
Implement regular data backup processes and have a recovery plan in place.
Implement procedures for securely sanitizing or destroying data storage media before disposal or reuse.
Ensure compliance with privacy regulations and obtain proper consent.
Develop and maintain a clear and comprehensive privacy policy for data collection.
Implement mechanisms to obtain explicit consent for data collection and processing where required.
Collect only the data that is necessary for the specified purpose.
Establish processes to address data subject rights requests (e.g. access rectification erasure).
Secure the infrastructure and systems used for electronic data collection.
Configure all systems and devices used for data collection securely.
Implement a process for identifying assessing and remediating security vulnerabilities in EDC systems.
Implement network security measures to protect the data collection infrastructure.
Deploy and maintain anti-malware solutions on all systems involved in data collection.
Establish and maintain security baselines for all EDC systems and components.
Maintain the accuracy and reliability of the collected data.
Implement data validation checks at the point of collection to ensure accuracy.
Implement controls to prevent unauthorized modification or deletion of collected data.
Implement processes for reconciling collected data with source systems or records.
Manage who can access the data collection systems and the collected data.
Implement role-based access control to limit access based on job responsibilities.
Enforce strong authentication mechanisms for accessing data collection systems.
Grant users only the minimum level of access necessary to perform their job functions.
Establish policies for how long data is kept and how it is securely disposed of.
Define data retention periods based on legal regulatory and business requirements.
Implement secure methods for disposing of data when it is no longer needed.
Track activities and changes within the data collection systems.
Enable comprehensive audit logging for all relevant activities within the EDC systems.
Regularly monitor and analyze audit logs for suspicious activity or policy violations.
Ensure accurate time synchronization across all EDC systems.
Have a plan to address any security or privacy incidents related to data collection.
Develop and maintain a written incident response plan for data collection incidents.
Establish procedures for reporting security and privacy incidents related to data collection.
Establish procedures for notifying affected individuals and regulatory authorities in the event of a data breach.
Educate users on secure data collection practices.
Conduct regular security awareness training for all users involved in data collection.
Provide role-specific training on data collection procedures and security requirements.
Provide specific training on identifying and avoiding phishing attacks.
Ensure the security and compliance of third-party vendors involved in EDC.
Conduct due diligence on vendors before engaging them for EDC activities.
Include security and privacy requirements in contracts with EDC vendors.
Implement ongoing monitoring of vendor security and compliance.
Protect the physical infrastructure used for electronic data collection.
Implement physical access controls to restrict unauthorized entry to facilities housing EDC systems.
Maintain appropriate environmental controls (temperature humidity) in facilities housing EDC systems.