Data Protection Audits
Protect your business from data breaches and ICO fines and demonstrate GDPR compliance.
Carrying out data protection audits will enable you to identify shortcomings in your data processing and provide clear actions to correct them. As your business scales, its use and management of data will evolve and become more complex. Audits at regular intervals – every 12 or 18 months – will reduce the potential for a data breach and the damage that might cause.
How we can help: Avoid fines and show GDPR compliance with a tailored data protection audit
We have a team of data protection solicitors, ready to create a holistic general data protection regulation audit report for your organisation. We’ll also provide comprehensive follow-up support through a tailor-made data protection audit plan.
We can support you with:
- Data protection information audit visits to see how your company handles data on the ground. We’ll also assess staff familiarity with GDPR rules and processes.
- Risk assessment of your data. We’ll examine how you collect data, identify the categories of data you hold for GDPR purposes and help specify the purpose for which you process the data.
- Confirmation that you are processing data lawfully.
- Examination of your current data protection procedures and policies against our data protection audit checklist to isolate shortcomings and suggest improvements.
- Identification of key data controllers within your organisation to ensure they receive adequate data centric audit and protection training.
- Review of data acquired externally through third party integrations. These can present high data security risks to individual organisations and require specific compliance consideration.
- Data protection internal audit reports and data protection audit toolkits to inform your future data processing and enable you to demonstrate compliance to the ICO if required.
- Implementation of corrective actions following site visits and production of our audit report.
What our clients say
We pride ourselves on delivering an excellent service for clients, but don’t just take our word for it.
I've enjoyed working with Harper James Solicitors and we are in good shape thanks to their help.
Harper James have become a vital part of our business. We get quality advice from experienced solicitors at prices that other firms do not appear to be able to match.
Our scale of growth would not have happened without the support of Harper James.
Harper James solicitors don’t speak in the legalese which I have heard too many times from other solicitors and which is totally unhelpful. What I’m after is focused, considered advice about the specific situations that I face. By which I mean, do you think this is a good idea? Their response might be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. One word is often all I’m looking for! My solicitor gives a view and I really value that.
What are the benefits of a data protection audit?
Demonstrate GDPR compliance |
GDPR imposes an accountability requirement on every business that controls or processes personal data. You must be able to show – on an ongoing basis – that you are meeting the requirements of GDPR. A data protection audit is one of the best ways to do this.
Rely on your auditor’s expertise |
Using an external advisor like a specialist data protection solicitor to perform your audit means you can take advantage of their experience. We have carried out audits in all kinds of commercial environments, including in businesses similar to your own. We will be able to quickly spot pitfalls and use our knowledge to recommend valuable and practical modifications to your current data protection practices.
Help manage your data |
With the company-wide review of data inherent in a data protection audit you will be able to identify what unnecessary data you hold and dispose of it in accordance with your data retention policy.
Raise staff awareness |
All staff – not just the key processors and controllers within your organisation – need to be aware of GDPR and its impact on the way personal information should be treated. Regular data protection audits will help create a culture of compliance across your business and reduce the possibility of data breaches.
Provide peace of mind |
The ICO now has extensive sanctions at its disposal to deal with data breaches. Your clients will be less ready to trust your organisation if you suffer any type of breach. A comprehensive data protection compliance audit followed by implementation of any recommendations made by the auditor provides you with the peace of mind to know that you have taken all reasonable steps to comply with your obligations under GDPR.
Who we help: Businesses across all sectors that control personal data
We provide security data protection and audit management services to a wide range of business clients. Failure to comply with GDPR can lead to significant fines and reputational damage. For many organisations the commercial fallout from data breaches will be difficult to withstand. At Harper James we provide bespoke advice on all your concerns around data protection compliance. In addition, our dedicated team of solicitors offers practical solutions to any gaps in your compliance management identified by our audit.
Examples of our work
Why choose Harper James Solicitors?
Data protection compliance is rarely straightforward. And with the additional obligations and stricter sanctions associated with GDPR it’s an area that can overwhelm some small and medium-sized businesses. Our team has a rare mix of technical legal knowledge and hands-on industry experience. We have extensive experience gained at other top law firms, and crucially members of the team have worked in-house for large commercial organisations. So, we understand the practical difficulties businesses face in trying to meet their data protection obligations. Over the years we have also developed valuable working relationships with regulators, including the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Find out more about the team here:
Pricing plans
Our three transparent pricing packages are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:
City
Straightforward access to senior solicitors at a competitive rate.
An affordable solution for businesses needing one-off legal support. Receive ‘City’ partner-level expertise at a fraction of ‘City’ prices.
Enterprise
Have legal peace of mind for £189 per month with additional support from £99 per hour.
A monthly subscription legal support package specifically designed for start-ups and smaller businesses.
On-Demand
For businesses requiring 60+ hours of support a year, with prices equivalent to £99 per hour.
Fully account managed quarterly subscription service for businesses with more complex legal needs.
