Data Protection Audits Explained

Unlocking Data Security & Demystifying the Art of Data Protection Audits

what is an audit and why should you be doing them annually?

Data Protection Audits Explained.

For many its the first step on the journey to GDPR compliance for others its an annual exercise to reassure and robust the already embedded GDPR best practise. In basic English, an audit provides a clear and definable assessment of whether your organisation is following lawful data protection practice. We believe and advise our customers that audits play a key role in assisting organisations when they are trying to understand and meet their data protection obligations. The audit also known as a Gap Analysis or Compliance review looks at whether you have effective controls in place alongside accurate policies and procedures to support your data protection obligations.

Our audit exercises check if you are following data protection legislation as it applies to your organisation and the resulting report makes recommendations on how to improve.

There are many organisations that implement annual audits to help them demonstrably show they are measuring and monitoring their compliance journey. Other take this a step further and have internal audit functions who manage the process and help overall compliance embed across a business. There are however, the vast majority or organisations who have a responsibility in house to ensure that are also taking adequate steps to enable them to highlight any key areas of risk to the business and mitigate against this to minimise the eventuality of a breach opening them up to fines under the GDPR.

Data Protection Audits Explained, How CDS Work:

Following a scope being generated and the completion of the audit, we provide a comprehensive and bespoke report along with a risk based summary and feedback on remediation and next steps. The audit report focuses on risk and makes observations and recommendations by priority so that you as an incumbent member of staff can relay, prioritise and digest this information in easy to use pragmatic and simple guide.

Contact us for more information on how CDS can help your organisation comply with data protection regulations economically, in a timely manor and with minimal disruption to BAU. https://compliancedirectsolutions.com/data-protection/gap-analysis-compliance-audit/

An audit provides an assessment of whether your organisation is following good data protection practice. For more info visit the ICO website for more details. https://ico.org.uk/