Data security in the era of GDPR and digital transformation – how to protect employee privacy while implementing innovations?

Digital transformation and hybrid work are becoming the norm; therefore, protecting personal data is no longer just about compliance, but also about ensuring privacy and security. It’s about establishing trust, accountability, and lasting security within your organization. As immersive technologies like VR become part of everyday learning and work, safeguarding employee privacy takes center stage.

At Mazer, while creating VR solutions for education and competence development, privacy-by-design has been our guiding principle from day one. Our experience working with highly regulated sectors such as IT, finance, and banking has shown us that the less data collected, the easier it is to protect, and the stronger the trust built with users and partners.

Key Takeaways

• Privacy is strategic: Protecting personal data in VR training goes beyond compliance—it builds trust, accountability, and long-term security.
• Data breaches are costly: The average breach costs $4.62 million, and 71% of consumers abandon companies they don’t trust with their data.
• Mazer’s privacy-by-design: Minimal data collection, no personal details, and secure access codes ensure b privacy protection without compromising user experience.
• Full GDPR compliance: Anonymized data protocols, encryption, and cloud-based security safeguard employees and simplify compliance for regulated industries.
• Business value of privacy: Companies gain reputation, employee trust, and scalability—VR training can be deployed without IT involvement or outsourcing sensitive data.
• Trust as competitive edge: Security and ethics in learning tools are now as important as efficiency and cost, making privacy a key differentiator in digital transformation.

Companies Know That Privacy is a Currency

The stakes have never been higher. According to the IBM Cost of a Data Breach 2024 report, the average cost of a data breach reaches $4.62 million. Even more telling, 71% of consumers would stop using a company’s services if they feel their data isn’t properly protected [1].

Within organizations, employees also expect their privacy to be respected. A Deloitte study [2] found that while 91% of employees trust their employer to handle their personal data responsibly, almost half don’t fully know how much information is collected about them.

How we operate at Mazer – security in practice

From the beginning of developing our Mazer Trainer platform, we embraced a strategy of minimizing data collection to ensure privacy without compromising the user experience:

• No requirement for users to create accounts or share personal details like surnames
• Access to training spaces via one-time, secure access codes
• Deployments that fit seamlessly within large corporations without touching the IT infrastructure or needing a data protection officer

This approach has been recognized by companies in the medical, financial, and training industries, among others, which, for obvious reasons, have extremely high regulatory compliance requirements.

Empowering Secure Innovation Through Strategic Data Governance

Effective data security is critical for organizations navigating digital transformation, especially when adopting cutting-edge tools like VR training. At Mazer, we ensure employee privacy by embedding robust GDPR compliance into every stage of our platform’s development. By leveraging anonymized data protocols and encrypted, cloud-based access, we eliminate vulnerabilities while delivering seamless, immersive learning experiences. This strategic approach to data governance not only protects sensitive information but also streamlines compliance for organizations in highly regulated industries. Our commitment to data protection empowers businesses to confidently embrace innovation, knowing that their employees’ privacy is safeguarded.

Reputation and Trust Go Beyond Compliance

Protecting data isn’t just about avoiding fines (which can reach €20 million or 4% of a company’s global annual revenue). It’s also about building an organization’s long-term reputation as a responsible partner, both with customers and with their teams.

In our conversations with business partners, we have observed that data security has become one of the most common criteria for evaluating learning and development tools, alongside efficiency, scalability, and implementation costs.

Why do companies choose the Mazer platform?

1. Complete compliance with privacy regulations and internal policies
2. No need to outsource personal data processing
3. VR training can be implemented without IT department involvement
4. One trainer can manage many participants, enabling scalability without growing teams
5. An engaging, modern training format that appeals to younger employees

Conclusion

Privacy isn’t an obstacle to innovation when addressed responsibly. At Mazer, we believe education and development must go hand in hand with digital security and ethics. Our platform empowers organizations to deliver effective VR training while protecting employee data, from the very first interaction to the final VR session.

Sources:

[1] IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024 – https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach

[2] Deloitte Insights – “Data Ethics and Employee Trust”, 2023

[3] GDPR Enforcement Tracker – CMS Law, 2024