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 Discover