Introduction
"Ready for Check-In" – How the collaboration between BER and caralegal began
From flight operations and passenger services to retail offerings, Lars Glowinski, as the Data Protection Officer, oversees the enforcement of data privacy standards at Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport, which opened in October 2020. Previously, he served as the Data Protection Officer at Berlin-Schönefeld and Berlin Tegel airports, bringing over a decade of experience in airport data protection to his role.
As the go-to expert for all data protection matters at BER, Lars Glowinski faced the challenge of finding a data protection management solution that could keep pace with the growing volume of data and meet increasingly stringent regulatory requirements. He needed a tool that was not only efficient and user-friendly but also allowed the responsibility of data protection to be shared across various teams.
“We were looking for a tool to move away from our Excel-based lists and enable a decentralized approach to data protection management.”
Lars Glowinski
Data Protection Officer at BER
The choice was clear with caralegal. The data protection management software enables decentralized, cross-functional data processing while providing a structured, comprehensive approach to identifying, assessing, and managing risks.
Challenge
"Go to Gate": Tackling the growing complexity of airport data protection
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) processes vast amounts of personal data, from passenger information to employee records. Before implementing caralegal, data protection tasks were managed by a small team. The goal, as Glowinski explains, was to distribute specific responsibilities across various departments and embed these processes so that each team could capture and provide structured, qualified information. With caralegal, this challenge has been successfully met.
BER’s Data Protection Officer sees two key advantages in decentralizing data protection management with caralegal:
Colleagues from other departments, who may not have the in-depth expertise of a data protection expert like Lars Glowinski, can quickly gain a clear understanding within the software on how to document data processing activities effectively.
The software also provides a detailed overview of where specific personal information is stored, making it easy to respond to data subject requests or regulatory inquiries in a targeted and organized manner.
The caralegal solution provides BER Airport with automated workflows, structured processes, and a seamless linkage of all data protection documentation. Additionally, its intuitive user interface facilitates productive collaboration between the departments and the Data Protection Officer.
Solution
“Ready for departure”: why caralegal is the perfect fit for BER Airport
The decision to partner with caralegal was based not only on its well-designed, practical, and versatile features. Another key factor was the alignment of caralegal's approach with the existing data protection management strategy at the airport.
“The approach, system structure, and the overall thought process in caralegal align well with our way of thinking. This allowed us to easily translate our data framework into caralegal's system,” so Lars Glowinski.
Many other data protection management systems start with the question, “Who is affected?” – like passengers, for example, to structure the data protection process.
However, for airport data protection, the focus is more on the data-related activities of passengers and the airport itself, such as browsing the BER website, scanning flight tickets, or walking through video-monitored areas. This is a practical approach to data protection management.
Lars Glowinski highlights three core elements of the caralegal software:
1.
The management of processing activities, with a clear outline of essential points that need to be recorded;
2.
The system's built-in assessments, such as determining when a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) is necessary;
3.
The documentation of data breaches and handling of requests.
As a structured data protection management software, caralegal enables task assignment and facilitates communication within the system itself, guiding team members through each step of the data protection processes.
So, how did the transition to caralegal go?
Glowinski recalls that the data migration ran smoothly, although a few adjustments were needed in the system to align with existing data sets and tailor it to specific needs. The excellent support from the caralegal team made the implementation much easier.
Looking ahead, Glowinski is confident that working with caralegal will increase the transparency of data protection management across teams and continue to raise awareness of data protection within the organization.
Outlook
"Welcome to BER Airport" – the data privacy journey continues
Lars Glowinski believes that BER Airport is now well-positioned to meet the ever-evolving demands of data protection, with caralegal playing a central role in this journey. Regular updates and new features will continue to drive advancements and strengthen data protection at the airport.
