Press release 16.11.2009

Frankfurt's MarketDialog GmbH and the Georg Kohl GmbH from Brackenheim are the first companies to receive Bechtle's Data Protection Seal of Approval from Bechtle's Data Protection & Data Security Competence Centre. The Bechtle Seal of Approval certifies that the handling of all sensitive data conforms to legal requirements of privacy and data protection laws.

Neckarsulm, 16 November 2009 – Companies that conform to federal privacy and data protection laws are eligible for the Bechtle Data Protection Seal of Approval. An audit to ensure conformity is carried out by employees from the Data Protection & Data Security Competence Centre who have received certification from TÜV Rheinland. The Seal of Approval is proof for the two companies of having successfully satisfied all requirements of the audit: "The Bechtle Data Protection Seal of Approval demonstrates that we have taken the initiative in acquiring professional help in matters concerning data security. This gives us a clear advantage over our competitors," explains Helen Schütte-Hain, Managing Director of MarketDialog.

Professional Help

The sales, marketing and software specialist made a conscious decision to choose an external partner: "For us and our customers verification and certification by Bechtle guarantees that every process is analysed and thoroughly checked, and if needed, modified to conform to data protection requirements," remarks Gunter Papenberg, Sales & Marketing Manager at MarketDialog. An external auditor can also make sure that all the appropriate security measures are properly implemented and carried out by our staff. The first measure taken by the Frankfurt-based business is to install a data protection platform. "We no longer collect customer information via e-mail. All sensitive data are directed to a secure and central data-protected address. This gives our customers the assurance of knowing that their data is safe with us and will not fall into the wrong hands," explains Gunter Papenberg.

Increased Marketability

For Georg Kohl from Brackenheim data security is also top priority. The core business of Georg Kohl GmbH is the handling of its customers' sensitive data—primarily address information and personal information. "We are one of the very fist businesses in our industry to be able to offer our customers the assurance of a data protection seal of approval, confirming that their trust in our company was well-placed," says Ulrike Hausmann, chairperson of the board of directors at Georg Kohl. In addition to that, the Brackenheim-based business is also making use of the Bechtle Data Protection Seal of Approval as a unique selling point in the acquisition of new customers. Ulrike Hausmann: "Whoever is looking for a reliable partner for data management and publication, but is not yet familiar with Georg Kohl GmbH, the Bechtle Seal of Approval can be a deciding factor."

Transparent and Thorough

The Bechtle Data Protection Seal of Approval considers all aspects of data protection such as both technical and organisational details, as well as issues of data theft and deletion of databases. "All concerned employees have been sensitised to matters of data protection and have been mandated to adhere to legal provisions concerning data protection. Moreover, we have reviewed our service partners' policies and signed new agreements with them according to the most up-to-date data protection laws," exclaimed Ulrike Hausmann.

Employees from the IT department gave the Bechtle auditors a look into the processes, networks and server rooms. Even the handling of confidential personal employee data was considered in the audit. The two-and-a-half days for the entire audit is a reasonable timeframe. "The on-site assessment of the customer's situation takes one day. The analysis of the collected data also takes one day, and the presentation of the suggested course of action takes one half-day," explains Helene Hübert, the certified data protection specialist of Bechtle's Data Protection & Data Security Competence Centre, which also employs certified data protection auditors, in-house corporate counsel and data security specialists.

Certified Compliance

Necessary modifications are determined by a deficiency analysis, which follows clearly defined guidelines for data protection. If the requirements are met in a particular area the Bechtle specialists give their go-ahead. "If all measures ensuring data protection are met we put our Seal of Approval on it. The Seal of Approval gives businesses a non-bureaucratic tool for winning new customers," claims Heiner Golombek, head of Bechtle's Data Protection & Data Security Competence Centre.