If your company is preparing for GDPR compliance, you’ll need to conduct a data audit. But, how do you do it properly? In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the steps involved in conducting a GDPR compliance audit. We’ll also provide tips on how to get the most out of your audit with our in-depth checklist. So, if you’re ready to get started, keep reading!

Wondering how to conduct a GDPR compliance audit?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many organisations are struggling to figure out how to conduct a GDPR compliance audit properly. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. In this blog post, we guide how to conduct a GDPR compliance audit properly.

Conducting a GDPR compliance audit can be daunting, but you must do it properly if you want to ensure that your organisation is compliant with the GDPR. Follow the guidance in this blog post and you can be confident that you are conducting a GDPR compliance audit properly.

What is a GDPR audit?

A GDPR compliance audit gives you a clear picture of how your organisation is performing from data subjects. If you want to ensure that your organisation complies with the GDPR, this will be essential.

What do you need to know about the GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has created new and stricter data protection impact assessment rules. If you are an organisation located in the EU, it will impact your everyday operations. For this reason, you must become compliant with the GDPR as soon as possible. A GDPR compliance audit is one of the first steps toward achieving GDPR compliance.

Is there a need for a GDPR audit?

Your company must conduct an audit of your data protection policies in light of GDPR rules. Data audits can provide businesses with a good opportunity to assess their conformity to GDPR requirements.

Six data protection principles are described:

• Lawfulness transparency:
• Fairness Purpose limitation
• Data minimising accuracy
• Storage limitation
• Data collected is kept for an extended amount of time
• Data should be analysed for specific purposes only

What are GDPR requirements?

The GDPR comes with a range of individual standards that your company will need to meet.

These include the following:

1. Ensuring personal data is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently; protecting personal data from loss or misuse by taking appropriate technical and organisational measures;
2. Make sure that data is collected only for specified lawful purposes and that it is adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary for processing personal data; ensuring that personal data should not be kept longer than necessary.

What data are protected by GDPR?

Privacy policies are applicable to sensitive and private information. Bank details: name, address, e-mail address, phone number, dates of birth, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, political views, and personal data, are the records that relate to people (subjects) and not companies.

What do you need to carry out a GDPR compliance audit?

To carry out a GDPR compliance audit properly, you will need the following:

• An understanding of what data you have and where it is located. You’ll also need to understand why you have this data and whether or not it complies with the GDPR.
• A list of all third parties with which you share data.
• A list of all people who have access to your organisation’s data and their roles within the organisation.
• An understanding of how this data is processed and for what reasons.

How do you audit GDPR compliance?

Conducting a GDPR compliance audit is no easy task. It will take time and effort, but you’ll be glad that you did it when it comes to passing your audit. Follow these steps to complete your GDPR audit properly:

1. Start with the end in mind. What information do you need to conduct an accurate GDPR compliance audit? Having a clear picture of what you are looking for will help you get the most out of your GDPR compliance audit.
2. Conduct an inventory of all data that you have within the organisation. This will include information on where this data is stored, why it was collected, who has access to it, and how it is processed.
3. Conduct a review of all third-party connections that your organisation has. Look into what data is exchanged and for what reasons. Conduct an in-depth review of your partners, suppliers, and customers to ensure that you are compliant with the GDPR when it comes to sharing information.
4. Review who has access to this data and how they use it (this will be relevant for your employees).
5. Understand how this data is processed (this aspect is particularly important for your IT team, as they may need to make some changes to comply with the GDPR).

Think about what else you should do after carrying out your GDPR compliance audit. Review the results of this audit and make a plan for how you will become GDPR compliant.

How to conduct a proper GDPR compliance audit

Your company’s GDPR audit checklist will depend on several factors, your company’s scale of production, the numbers, and type of data that your company deals with, etc.

GDPR audit checklist

1. List the checklist of the data you need to protect.
2. Check whether they are GDPR compliant, if not, take necessary actions to ensure compliance.
3. Ensure that your company can respond when asked for user controls and downloads under GDPR rules. Ensure confidentiality of communications with users (i.e., encrypting data).
4. Make sure that you do not keep data longer than its use.
5. Check whether your employees are aware of the GDPR rules and know how to work by them when they come into contact with user data.
6. Make sure that technologies used by your company comply with GDPR requirements as well as third-party products or services that you purchase from other companies.
7. Retain control of how your data is shared or transferred outside the EU.
8. Ensure that consent for using personal data is requested by GDPR rules and that this consent is not bundled into terms and conditions.
9. Understand the hidden costs of breaches to GDPR provisions, which can be significant even if they appear to be minor based on the numbers involved.
10. Complete a gap analysis of your current GDPR-compliant practices and understand what you can improve or change going forward, re-engineering processes as necessary to ensure full compliance with GDPR requirements.

What is a Data Protection Officer and what do they do?

A Data Protection Officer is an internal role that works to ensure compliance with GDPR rules. They are responsible for overseeing all data processing activities to ensure that the company complies with GDPR, including working closely with engineering teams to implement privacy-enhancing technologies. They will also liaise directly with regulators and conduct internal investigations if there is a data breach. The data protection officer is in charge of ensuring that all company policies are being followed, and for this reason, they have been given extensive power. As well as overseeing the entire compliance process; including a personal information management system (PIMS) – which records how much sensitive customer info has occurred within its walls-, right down to security measures put into place such as an Information security management system (ISMS)  and a Development security management system (DevSecMS) as well as other such measures, they also have to ensure that staff understand their responsibilities and implement training programs to motivate them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, navigating the labyrinth of GDPR compliance can be daunting, but it is absolutely essential for organizations that process personal data. A GDPR Compliance Audit is not just a box to check; it’s a crucial step in safeguarding both your business and the data of those you serve. Secure I.T. Environments Ltd can provide expertise in this area, with years of experience in data centre services including design, build, and equipment specification. Don’t leave your compliance to chance; consult professionals who understand the ins and outs of GDPR as well as the technical requirements that underpin it. Contact Secure I.T. Environments Ltd today to ensure that your data centre is not just secure, but also fully compliant with GDPR regulations.

FAQ

In Conclusion

To comply with the GDPR in full an audit must be conducted. GDPR audits should be conducted every day, this will determine the extent of compliance. A regularly performed internal audit should help ensure you comply with the GDPR requirements before submitting an external audit.  GDPR audits must be carried out by a specialised company, not an internal team. We hope that you found this article helpful and that it will provide you with the information required to ensure GDPR compliance.