Businesses today have an ever-growing list of privacy restrictions to deal with when collecting and managing data. One of the most notorious pieces of privacy legislation is the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which became the law of the land in 2018 and carries stiff penalties for violators.
Suffice it to say that GDPR compliance can be challenging. This is largely due to its size and scope as well as its evolving nature. In order to meet GDPR requirements, many organizations are turning to purpose-built software solutions that are designed to be GDPR-compliant out of the box.
Without a doubt, this is the fastest and safest way to use data and avoid regulatory complications for businesses that sell to customers who reside in the EU.
What Is the GDPR?
The GDPR is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching global privacy protocols implemented to date. It replaced the EU’s Data Protection Act and is now the main data privacy law in the EU.
While the GDPR is extensive, it boils down to some basic foundational principles. At a high level, companies that handle data from consumers in the EU need to operate with lawfulness, fairness, and transparency. They also have to limit the data they collect and focus on data minimization, accuracy, integrity and confidentiality, and accountability, among other things.
GDPR also grants users eight basic rights to personal data and privacy, including the right to data access, data consent, data deletion, data portability, processing restriction, notification, and rectification.
The GDPR applies to all kinds of personal data, ranging from health and biometric data to basic identity information like names, mailing addresses, and email addresses. GDPR also impacts any company that collects or processes the personal data of residents of the EU regardless of the organization’s location. It applies to large companies as well as to small businesses with 250 or more employees.
Violators of the GDPR may face penalties of up to €20 million (about $23 million) or up to 4 percent of annual worldwide turnover from the previous financial year, whichever is larger.
What Is GDPR compliance?
When an organization is GDPR-compliant, it means the company meets the law’s various requirements for handling personal data.
The list of requirements is extensive. Some of the most important points involve designating an EU representative, embracing an opt-in mode of data collection, establishing time limits for breach notifications, and responding to customer requests for personal data.
Top GDPR Software Solutions To Consider
In light of the extensive nature of GDPR, it comes as no surprise that organizations are struggling to comply. According to one study, 85 percent of U.S. companies believe that GDPR compliance regulations put them at a disadvantage against their European competitors.
Even though complying with GDPR is proving to be difficult for global businesses, recent technology advancements make it easier. In fact, there are a variety of GDPR compliant tools on the market that can help streamline workflows and keep you out of trouble.
1. PrivIQ (Formerly GDPR365)
PrivIQ offers a one-stop shop for GDPR compliance. This platform provides everything you need to know to understand your company’s risks and to manage data privacy.
Some of PrivIQ’s top features include data mapping, access to privacy notice and governance documents, breach logging support, and graphical dashboard reports.
2. Onspring
Onspring provides cutting-edge risk management software that simplifies workflows, improves transparency, and helps maintain GDPR compliance.
This software is excellent for capturing and remediating risks as they appear, including financial, reputational, and third-party threats. The software also makes it possible to control access by user, role, and group.
3. SolarWinds Access Rights Manager
SolarWinds Access Rights Manager (ARM) gives you everything you need to manage access rights across your entire IT environment to ensure GDPR compliance.
Of note, the GDPR requires detailed user access monitoring. This is especially important for users with sensitive data. ARM can produce custom Active Directory and Azure AD reports, providing instant visibility into what different users can access.
4. LogicGate Risk Cloud
LogicGate Risk Cloud is a cloud-based platform with prebuilt applications that perform a variety of critical GDPR-related functions.
For example, the platform automates and centralizes customer requests, investigates breaches, and communicates with supervisory authorities. Additionally, LogicGate ensures that third parties are managing personal data effectively.
5. Netwrix Auditor
Netwrix Auditor can minimize risk during a data breach. The platform quarantines sensitive data, secures overexposed documents, and manages privilege attestations, among other things.
By using a solution like Netwrix Auditor, your team can promptly discover security threats. If a breach occurs, you can spend less time combing through systems and databases and put more effort into dealing with customers and strategizing on a fix.
6. OneTrust
OneTrust helps companies enhance their privacy programs. The platform offers prebuilt workflows, templates, automation, and regulatory intelligence to help operationalize data and remain in compliance with GDPR.
On top of this, this platform provides transparency about online tracking and captures consent for tracking technologies, cookies, and marketing communications. It also helps maintain and distribute policies and notices.
7. Vigilant Software Compliance Manager
Vigilant Software Compliance Manager identifies legal and regulatory information security requirements for GDPR.
Using this software, your company can understand the specific actions that it needs to take to comply with various information security laws. Compliance Manager provides effective dates, direct links to legislation, and implementation requirements.
8. Boxcryptor
Boxcryptor delivers advanced data protection using state-of-the-art encryption, which is a fundamental part of GDPR.
With the help of Boxcryptor, your company can ensure that all data receives adequate protection in the cloud. The software encrypts files end to end locally on user devices before they go to cloud storage, enabling strong access control.
9. Didomi
Didomi is a leading privacy and consent management platform. The company offers Didomi for Developers, a comprehensive platform that runs on open APIs and helps integrate customer consent into operations.
Didomi makes it easy to build customer permission into your technology, enabling you to simplify privacy protection and preference management.
Further, the platform provides legal and business teams with real-time consent and preference data for easy compliance reporting. It also enables teams to know when consent is required when collecting new data or using it for different purposes. This in turn reduces risk and lets teams operate with greater confidence.
10. Iubenda
Iubenda makes apps and websites legally compliant across multiple legislations and languages, and GDPR is a main focus.
With Iubenda, you can access helpful services like a privacy and cookie policy generator, a terms and conditions generator, and a consent solution. The company also offers a cookie solution to manage consent preferences for GDPR and other similar regulations.
11. Enov8 Data Compliance Suite
Enov8’s Data Compliance Suite uses automated intelligence to identify security exposures and address issues before they lead to major incidents.
The platform gives IT teams clean production-like data for developing and testing platform changes, eliminating complex and time-consuming manual work.
Simply put, Enov8 enables teams to work faster and with less risk while eliminating costly remediation efforts and compliance issues.
GDPR Compliance Can Be a Breeze with Enov8
Achieving GDPR compliance doesn’t have to be a nightmare. With the right software in place, your team can continue developing and using data at a fast pace while avoiding costly fines and penalties.
To learn how Enov8 can help your organization achieve and maintain GDPR compliance, take the platform for a spin.
Post Author
This post was written by Justin Reynolds. Justin is a freelance writer who enjoys telling stories about how technology, science, and creativity can help workers be more productive. In his spare time, he likes seeing or playing live music, hiking, and traveling.