GDPR violations happen daily. Not from malice. From misunderstanding.
Sales teams share proposals via public links. HR sends employee data through Gmail. Marketing forwards customer lists without thinking.
Each seems harmless. Each could cost thousands in fines.
Here are the critical errors that get companies in trouble. And practical ways to avoid them.
Reduce your GDPR risk today
Many document sharing mistakes come from using the wrong tools.
Ellty helps you share more securely:
- Replace risky email attachments with controlled links
- Add passwords to sensitive documents
- Track who accesses what for audit trails
- Revoke access when no longer needed
While GDPR compliance requires multiple measures, better tools reduce common risks.
Public links for private data
Google Drive set to "anyone with link"? That's essentially public. These links get shared in Slack channels. Posted in forums. Indexed by search engines.
One company shared their customer database this way with a partner. Six months later, it surfaced on Reddit. Cost them €50,000.
Always default to restricted access. Require authentication. Add passwords. Set expiration dates. Basic precautions that prevent major problems.
Email attachments live forever
You send a spreadsheet with customer data to a colleague. Job done, right?
That file now exists in their inbox. Their sent folder. Email backups. Downloaded to their laptop. Maybe forwarded to personal email.
Employee leaves? File stays. Email gets hacked? Data exposed. Need to update information? Can't reach all copies.
Use links instead. You maintain control. Can revoke access. Update without resending. See who's viewing.
No paper trail
Regulators knock on your door. "Who accessed this personal data last year?"
You: "No idea."
That's when fines double. Not just for the original issue. For poor security practices.
Every share needs a record. Who got access. When. Why. How long they need it. Tools with built-in logs make this automatic. Manual tracking works too. Just track something.
Access that never ends
Board member gets financial reports for Q1 meeting. Still has access in Q4. And next year. And after they resign.
Contractor finishes project in January. Can still view customer data in December.
This violates storage limitation principles. Plus creates unnecessary risk. Set expiration dates up front. Review quarterly. Revoke immediately when roles change.
Real example: Marketing agency kept access to client's customer database for three years after contract ended. Discovered during audit. Expensive lesson.
Geography
EU customer data going to US vendors? Indian contractors? Canadian consultants?
Each transfer needs legal basis. Standard contractual clauses. Adequacy decisions. Explicit consent.
Ignore this and fines start at €20,000. Even for small businesses. Even for single incidents.
Many companies don't realize their "simple" document sharing crosses borders. That proposal to your New York office? International transfer. That spreadsheet to your remote developer in Poland? Might be fine, might not, depending on your setup.
Deletion problem
Customer emails: "Delete all my data."
You delete their CRM record. Success! Except...
Their data lives in:
- Last month's sales report (shared with 12 people)
- Q3 financial presentation (board access)
- Customer success spreadsheet (whole team has copies)
- Email attachments (everywhere)
Finding and deleting every instance? Nearly impossible with poor sharing practices.
Central systems help. Shareable links you control help more. Document where personal data lives helps most.
Small mistakes, big consequences
GDPR fines scale with company size, but violations are violations. Small business sending customer lists via Gmail faces same legal risk as enterprise doing it.
The difference? Enterprises have compliance teams. Legal counsel. Expensive tools.
Small businesses need simple solutions. Better habits. Practical tools.
Start with the basics:
- Stop using email attachments for personal data
- Add passwords to sensitive shares
- Track what you're sharing
- Delete old access regularly
Perfect compliance might be complex. But avoiding obvious mistakes? That's achievable.
What actually works
Forget complex compliance frameworks. Focus on practical improvements:
Replace attachment habits with link sharing. You don't need expensive enterprise tools. Even basic link tracking beats email attachments.
Create simple categories: public stuff, internal stuff, sensitive stuff. Share accordingly.
Set calendar reminders: "Review document access" monthly. Takes 20 minutes. Prevents years of accumulated risk.
Document decisions in a spreadsheet. Date, document, recipient, reason, expiration. Basic but effective.
When someone asks for their data, you'll know where to look. When access should end, you'll remember to revoke it.
Moving forward
GDPR mistakes often come from pre-GDPR habits. The tools and methods that worked for years now carry legal risk.
You don't need perfect systems. You need better practices. Tools that give you control. Habits that reduce risk.
Start with your next document share. Use a password. Set an expiration date. Track who gets access.
Small changes. Big difference.
Stop making document sharing mistakes
Every email attachment with personal data is a GDPR risk you can't control.
Ellty makes secure sharing simple:
- Upload once, share controlled links
- See who's accessing what
- Revoke access instantly
- Build audit trails automatically
Start reducing your GDPR risk today. Free tier covers your basic needs.
