Manually getting GDPR compliant is time-consuming, tedious, and stressful.

You’ll need to:

• complete a thorough risk assessment and gap analysis
• design controls and write policies from scratch
• train your employees on security best practices
• make sure employees review the new policies
• update spreadsheets and grab hundreds of screenshots to use as evidence 

This requires dedicating multiple team members and company leaders to oversee compliance, and likely hiring a consultant to assist you.

Compliance automation software can help simplify and streamline some of this process to save you valuable time and resources. Below, we’ll explain what compliance automation software does and share tips for deciding if it’s the right choice for you.

What is Compliance Automation?

GDPR automation software simplifies and streamlines the compliance process, particularly around security, eliminating hours of manual work. 

Below are some of the most powerful benefits of GDPR automation software.

Saves time and money

Most startups don’t have a dedicated security and compliance team. CEOs, CTOs, and lead engineers are left to create and implement security controls, fill out time-consuming security questionnaires, maintain hundreds of documents, and manage the entire compliance process. An automation platform eliminates that busy work, freeing up resources for other high-priority, revenue-generating projects.

Simplifies evidence collection

Normally, GDPR readiness involves tracking dozens of documents in spreadsheets and grabbing screenshots for evidence of compliance. Compliance software integrates with your existing tech stack to pull that information for you.

Streamlines policy creation

The best GDPR automation platforms include a library of auditor-approved policy templates that you can customize for your business needs.This saves you from having to write all of your own policies from scratch. Some solutions even let you publish policies for your personnel to review and acknowledge through the platform too. 

Continually monitors your systems and internal controls

A GDPR automation platform can monitor your tech stack 24/7 to alert you of non-conformities, making it easier to maintain continuous compliance. The top platforms will not only alert you on standard tasks but provide actionable insights on critical security and privacy compliance issues.

Makes it easier to maintain compliance

A compliance platform that automatically collects evidence and continuously monitors your tech stack will make it easier to maintain GDPR compliance. You'll be able fix issues quickly and proactively as GDPR regulations change.

Simplifies compliance across frameworks

GDPR has a lot of overlapping requirements with CCPA and other data privacy laws. Instead of starting from ground zero, compliance software can help map what you’ve already done for GDPR to other regulations and information security frameworks. It'll be faster and easier to achieve compliance with additional standards and avoid duplicate efforts.

While GDPR automation can be incredibly beneficial, it’s important to avoid relying too much on a tool. Company stakeholders must continue to prioritize a strong security strategy, own risk analysis, and understand how internal controls are designed and implemented. They can use the software to automate tedious and time-consuming tasks like evidence collection, threat notifications, and vendor risk management.

How to Choose a Compliance Automation Platform

The security, privacy, and compliance software landscape is a fast-growing space, with a growing number of vendors to choose from. Keep these questions in mind as you evaluate potential solutions to help decide which is the best fit for your organization: 

• Is GDPR as well as additional regulations and security frameworks supported? Be sure to consider any you may need as your company grows.
• Is the number and depth of integrations enough to save your team from excess work?
• What is the level of customer support? What channels are available to receive support? Does that support extend through the process of getting compliant? Do you still get the same level of support when maintaining compliance?
• Is GDPR training included in the pricing package? Look for clear, transparent pricing without hidden costs.

Key Features of Compliance Automation Software

Automated Evidence Collection

Eliminating tedious, manual tasks is one of the core advantages of GDPR compliance automation. Look for a solution that offers a wide range of integrations that automatically collect evidence to simplify your compliance process.

Vendor Management

Managing vendor risk can be incredibly complicated. Choosing a tool that collects all of your vendor agreements and security certifications in one spot simplifies the entire process. 

Policy Library

If you don’t already have a set of internal security policies, creating them all from scratch can be time-consuming, confusing, and may put your company at legal and/or financial risk. The best GDPR automation tools offer a library of templated policies that are approved by a team of auditors, making it much easier and faster to build out your policies and ensure they’re compliant with GDPR requirements.

Employee Onboarding and Offboarding

Educating personnel working with GDPR-protected data and those responsible for protecting it is an essential part of GDPR compliance. Compliance automation software can verify that every member of your team completes security training and policy reviews. When you need to revoke access for former employees, the software can make that easy to see, too.

Continuous Monitoring

Continuous compliance requires continuous monitoring. Choose a tool that alerts you to issues that could threaten your compliance. Tools like Secureframe will even provide detailed guidance for correcting each issue so you’ll know for sure it’s fixed. 

Expert, End-to-End Support

Look for solutions that have a team of experienced former auditors on staff. At Secureframe, dedicated resources from both our customer success and compliance teams will help you through every step of the compliance process and beyond. They can answer technical questions and offer personalized security advice based on decades of experience.