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GDPR Audits Require Preparation for Success—Get Started Now
Failing to prepare for a GDPR audit? Prepare to fail unless you put in the groundwork.
In 1977—the year the original “Star Wars” hit cinemas—John Wooden, an American basketball coach gave a now famous quote during a speech to an audience at a Texas university: “When you’re failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail.”
These words can be echoed through all walks of life, but, in the business world, seldom has an expression applied more to the prospect of an external organisation’s auditing working practices—particularly when penalty fines can be the result.
When a supervisory authority, such as the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK, requests a GDPR audit, it’s natural for a feeling of panic to set in. GDPR instantly became a dinner-table topic in 2018 upon its inception. Businesses and organisations—small and large, private and public—all had a feeling of apprehension and uncertainty at what lay ahead when the new legislation went live on May 25. Those organisations who did take it seriously—reviewing policies, procedures, consent forms, and appointing GDPR experts and consultants to guide them through—were the ones who came out winners when things like the 72-hour breach reporting rule became a reality, or records of processing meant sitting down with numerous units and sub-sections to figure out just what was required of these new terms. Privacy Impact Assessments became Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs). GDPR was here to stay. And so were GDPR audits—the likes of which the ICO publish externally with detailed audit reports of areas lacking in Data Protection Compliance.
So, the question stands: How can you prepare not to fail a supervisory authority audit? The answer lies in assuring GDPR is at the forefront of your organisation’s DNA. Up-to-date privacy notices, consent forms, trained staff, E-Learning packages, breach reporting mechanisms, and ICO notification processes are all essential. The list goes on. But GDPR can actually help an organisation become more streamlined. It can help with housekeeping and retention, understanding whether data stored is overly disproportionate, and more. That goes a long way to build trust with clients, staff, and stakeholders.
CTG can help you prepare for a supervisory authority audit by conducting a deep dive into your business practises and formulating an action plan to achieve a gold standard of GDPR compliance. We can look at training, DPIAs, records of processing, and any other GDPR compliance issue that needs addressing. Avoid more work and extra costs by allowing CTG to assist you today. We can prepare your organisation so you don’t fail a GDPR audit and help with any ongoing activities in its aftermath. Be prepared. Be GDPR compliant.
Explore our comprehensive suite of GDPR Compliance Solutions to learn more about how we can support your organisation wherever it may be in its data protection journey.
AUTHOR
Andrew Stevenson
Data Privacy Consultant
Andy is a Data Privacy Consultant with more than 10 years’ experience in Data Protection, GDPR, Freedom of Information, and Law Enforcement Processing. He worked for the police for over 16 years and is interested in how privacy and information security applies to all walks of life—both business and personal. He has a certified practitioner’s qualification in Data Protection and GDPR.
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