How can you measure your organization's data protection policies and procedures?

1 Data protection audits

Conducting a data protection audit is an essential step for verifying if your organization is abiding by the relevant laws and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This audit can be conducted internally by your own staff or externally by a third-party auditor or a regulatory authority. It should cover the scope, purpose, and legal basis of your data processing activities, the types of personal data you use, and who it is shared with. Additionally, the audit should assess the data protection roles and responsibilities within your organization, any training and awareness programs for staff, data protection policies and procedures, as well as data protection impact assessments and risk assessments. Moreover, the audit should evaluate the technical and organizational measures in place for protecting personal data, such as encryption, access control, backup, and monitoring. The resulting report should highlight any strengths and weaknesses in your data protection practices, identify gaps or non-compliance issues, and provide recommendations for improvement.

2 Data protection indicators

Measuring your data protection performance can be done through data protection indicators, which are quantitative or qualitative measures that reflect the level of data protection in your organization. These indicators can help you monitor and evaluate your data protection goals, objectives, and outcomes, as well as track progress and improvement over time. Examples of data protection indicators include the number and severity of data breaches and incidents, the number and response time of data subject requests and complaints, the number and completion rate of data protection training and awareness sessions, the number and results of data protection impact assessments and risk assessments, the percentage of data processing activities with a clear legal basis, the percentage of personal data encrypted, anonymized, or pseudonymized, and the percentage of staff with access to personal data on a need-to-know basis. To collect, analyze, and report your data protection indicators, you can use surveys, interviews, questionnaires, audits, inspections, logs, dashboards, or charts.

3 Data protection benchmarks

Measuring your data protection performance can be done through the use of data protection benchmarks. These standards and criteria allow you to compare your data protection practices and outcomes with those of other organizations or sectors, helping you identify best practices, learn from others' experiences, and improve your competitive advantage. Sources of data protection benchmarks include applicable laws and regulations, such as the GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA; frameworks and guidelines that provide good practices and recommendations; certifications and accreditations that demonstrate compliance and competence; and awards and recognition that showcase excellence and innovation. You can access, compare, and apply data protection benchmarks through various tools such as research, publications, reports, websites, databases, and networks.

4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?