Essential Pre-Enrollment Insights for Aspiring Data Protection Officers

6 min readNov 2, 2023

Table of Contents

∘ Introduction:
· Essentials for aspiring data protection officers:
∘ 1. Expertise and in-depth learning of national and international data protection laws:
∘ 2. Knowledge of business entity and relevant procedures:
∘ 3. Soft skills
∘ Data Protection courses in India:
· Some of the important data privacy certifications in India are:
∘ C — DPO (India) certification:
∘ C — DPO (Practitioner) certification:
∘ DSCI Certified Privacy Professional:
∘ How Tsaaro Academy can help you?
∘ Whom to contact and how to get started?

Introduction:

According to UNCTAD around 137 out of 194 countries in the world have existing legislation to preserve privacy and data protection. Most of the data protection legislation demands the appointment of a data protection officer to administer the responsibilities for privacy compliance. According to Reuters, after the adoption of GDPR in the European Union, the total job postings for data protection officers have exponentially increased.

To be precise, according to a survey conducted by DPEX center a learning and research body of straits interactive founds that there is a 125 % year-on-year increase by companies advertising data protection officer job openings and there was a significant 259% year-on-year increase for jobs mandating data protection expertise.

However, professionals who are aspiring to become data protection officers should be formally trained with industry-accredited certifications. The role of DPO is highly demanding. For instance, Article 37 of general data protection regulation has specified that a DPO shall be a person with expert knowledge of protection laws and practices. A practicing lawyer with mere textbook knowledge of privacy law provisions will jeopardize the responsibilities of the DPO role. Apart from provisional understanding the person shall be expected to have additional qualifications.

Essentials for aspiring data protection officers:

In a survey conducted among data protection officers in 2021, it was found that 82 % of the appointed DPOs felt that they needed additional education in data protection. The survey concluded that DPOs should be encouraged to complete mandatory data privacy education and certifications to perform their daily responsibilities. Most of the data protection legislation around the world does not explicitly categorize the essentials of a DPO job. However, considering the nature of responsibilities mandated under privacy legislation, the essential prerequisites for a data protection officer can be identified.

They are:

1. Expertise and in-depth learning of national and international data protection laws:

A DPO is expected to have a clear understanding of relevant data protection laws. As a fresher, if you want to gain an edge over other candidates it is inherent to be certified with industry-accredited certifications offered by IAPP, C — DPO (India), DCPP, and C- DPO (practitioner) certifications. These certifications will help you to stand out from other candidates and showcase your track record of knowledge in data protection.

2. Knowledge of business entity and relevant procedures:

The main responsibilities of DPO include deciding the legal basis of data processing, responding to DSR requests and incident management. So, to anticipate these compliance requirements it is inherent for a DPO to be well-versed in the operational activity of the company. Apart from knowledge of general privacy regulations, DPO shall be trained in sector-specific legislation which mandates data protection standards. For, example in India, a DPO working in the banking sector, apart from being an expert in the DPDP Act 2023, DPO should be aware of the relevant RBI notifications.

3. Soft skills

Apart from technical experience, there are certain skills inherent in a DPO. They are:

Strong communication skills: The role of DPO involves frequent communication with inter-departments.

Strong leadership skills: DPOs may report and advise data protection practices to the senior management of a company, and they are completely responsible for operating and managing a privacy program.

Data Protection courses in India:

After the enactment of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, the demand for data privacy professionals has skyrocketed. As a matter of as per a study report released by “Found It,” a renowned job-searching platform in India, the shortage of Data Protection officers in India has increased by 32% in the last two years.

However, in a highly competitive employment market, recruiters must be utterly convinced that you are the ideal candidate for that position. When proving a track record of data protection expertise, completing industry-accredited certifications shall come in handy.

Some of the important data privacy certifications in India are:

C — DPO (India) certification:

This certification is offered by Tsaaro Academy, and it is suitable for beginners who are planning to make a career as a data protection officer. This certification will delve deep into key principles of Indian privacy laws, legal grounds for data processing, maintain consent management and DSR maintenance.

The course is divided into nine modules. The first eight modules consist of core practical and theoretical concepts. The 9th module consists of a 2-hour MCQ-based final exam.

The modules of this course are:

Indian privacy laws and regulations
Privacy notice and consent under the DPDP Act 2023
Drafting Privacy Policies
Response mechanisms for Data Principal rights
ROPA and DPIA — key concepts and essentials
Data retention policy
Data breach management
Third-party vendor management

At the end of each module, the learners are mandated to submit exercises including drafting ROPA, DPIA privacy notice etc.

C — DPO (Practitioner) certification:

This certification is also offered by Tsaaro Academy. This certification offers rigorous, hands-on training for freshers who are struggling to learn all the technicalities and operational mandates of a DPO. Then, C- DPO (Practitioner) certification is the only way to move forward.

The course is divided into nine modules. The first eight modules consist of core practical and theoretical concepts.

The eight modules of this course are:

Data Discovery — Dive bell (tool)
Implementation of Cookie, consent and Preference Management
Product Privacy by Design Assessment
Data Retention Schedule and Management
Data Breach Response and Management
Data Principal’s Rights Response and Management
Cross border Transfers — Transfer Impact Assessment
Personal Information Management System Framework (PIMS)

DSCI Certified Privacy Professional:

This certification is offered by the Data Security Council of India. This DCPP certification program is exclusively designed for professionals who are new to and intend to work in the privacy sector.

DCPP certification consists of 6 modules. The first five modules consist of core data protection principles and global privacy legislation. The last module consists of a mandatory MCQ examination.

The five modules of this course are:

Global evolution of privacy
Principles of privacy and regulatory framework
Cross-border data flows
Personal information transactions and privacy tools and technologies
Information lifecycle and privacy in organizations

How Tsaaro Academy can help you?

Tsaaro Academy is South Asia’s leading training partner in data protection and cyber security courses. Tsaaro Academy has a track record of teaching 1000+ certified data protection professionals in India and other countries.

If you are passionate about starting your career as a data protection officer, then Tsaaro Academy is the best choice. The expert panel of the Tsaaro Academy consists of industry experts within hand expertise in the data protection domain.

The responsibilities of a DPO require adequate crisis management qualities. To improve the same the curriculum and the practice exercises are created to cater for the unforeseen demands of the DPO job.

Along with such real-time application-oriented course content, our experts are available 24/7 to provide learners with adequate assistance and help them excel in the emerging field of data protection.

Whom to contact and how to get started?

Tsaaro Academy got you covered. The tailor-made certifications offered by Tsaaro Academy will provide a competitive advantage over other fellow candidates while applying for jobs and interviews and it will ease your responsibilities as a DPO.

Apart from Data protection officer courses, Tsaaro Academy offers a wide variety of courses covering data protection, cyber security etc. If, you are interested in pursuing. If, you are interested in pursuing C- DPO Practitioner, C — DPO (India ) certification or any other certifications offered by Tsaaro Academy including CISM, and ISO 27001 lead auditor courses then Please visit the Tsaaro Academy website for further details. Consult our knowledgeable tutors for professional advice to elevate your career.