Short answer: A GDPR system can streamline the protection of sensitive data by automating and structuring the organisation’s handling of personal information. By using tools such as data discovery, access control, and risk assessment, the system can help ensure that data is processed in accordance with GDPR, thereby reducing the impact of a data breach.
A tool for managing GDPR
The more information we store online, the more important it is to have systems in place to protect people’s personal data and your own sensitive business documents. Implementing GDPR software can make compliance easier for you and your employees as you navigate the complex legal requirements for data protection. This blog is about how a GDPR system can help you process sensitive data properly.
Did you know that AI and automation have reduced the lifecycle of a data breach by 108 days in average?
- IBM Newsroom
GDPR and Data Protection in the UK
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the EU’s legal framework that sets the guidelines for handling personal data — and it continues to apply to UK businesses under the UK GDPR, which mirrors the EU version post-Brexit. It’s not just legislation; it’s a step towards empowering individuals with control over their data and ensuring that organisations handle this information responsibly. Any UK business processing personal data — whether of customers, employees, or partners — must comply, regardless of its size.
In reality, businesses are heavily reliant on data. From customer insights to internal operations, data is a vital asset for driving success. But beyond legal compliance, data protection is key to maintaining trust with customers, partners, employees, and other stakeholders. That’s why meeting GDPR obligations isn’t just a regulatory necessity — it’s a strategic priority for any organisation handling personal data in the UK.
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How a GDPR system can help you
There is no legal requirement for businesses to use software to support GDPR compliance. Organisations are free to manage sensitive data manually if they choose. However, a manual approach often involves paperwork and ongoing monitoring of data processing activities — a process that is both complex and time-consuming. Instead, a business may opt to use an automated solution, known as a GDPR system, which leverages technology to streamline compliance efforts.
A GDPR system typically consists of one or more tools designed to help organisations manage and protect personal data in line with the regulation. Here are some common types of tools often included in such systems:
- Data discovery tools: Identify and map where you store personal data and how you process it throughout your organisation. Data discovery is essential to gain a clear understanding of the data flow and identify potential risks.
- Request portal tools (DSR portals): Receive, verify and respond on time when people make specific requests about their data. Request portals can also help you collect and send data securely, with everything logged in case of audit.
- Risk assessment tools: Risk assessment tools can evaluate and quantify the risks of processing personal data. They help you identify potential threats and vulnerabilities and develop strategies to mitigate risks.
- Access management tools: These tools allow you to control who has access to personal data and what they can do with it. In this way, you can make sure that data is only accessible to people who need to use it.
- Data breach tools: These tools monitor and detect abnormal activities that may indicate a potential data breach. Before a breach occurs, put these systems in place to be alerted to security breaches in time to respond.
- Safe email portals: Tools that encrypt and secure personal data, especially during transfer and storage. This helps fulfil the GDPR requirement of “data protection by design and by default.”
- Reporting tools: These tools let you create reports and audit trails that you can use to improve your own processes. Meanwhile, you will also have them ready to present to supervisory authorities in case of an audit.
- Consent management tools: Customise, manage and track consent forms. This is crucial whenever you use consent as a legal basis to collect and process people’s data.
- Awareness and training tools: Tools that support employee education and training on data protection and GDPR, which is essential to ensure staff know the rules and comply with them.
Overall, the exact tools a company needs can vary depending on its size, industry, and complexity of their data processing activities.
FAQ about a GDPR system
What is a GDPR system?
A GDPR system is a collection of digital tools designed to help organisations comply with the data protection regulation. It typically includes features such as data discovery, consent management, and risk assessment to ensure the proper handling of personal data.
How does a GDPR system protect sensitive data?
A GDPR system can help in many ways, depending on the specific tools it includes. These might range from identifying where data is stored to monitoring access and assessing risks related to data processing.
Is a GDPR system required to comply with the law?
While there is no legal requirement to use a GDPR system, it can be a highly effective way to ensure compliance — especially for organisations that process large volumes of personal data. Such systems help automate tasks and minimise the risk of human error.
How do you choose the right GDPR system?
The choice depends on your organisation’s size, the nature of your data processing activities, and your specific needs. It’s important to select a system that offers the necessary features and can integrate with your existing IT infrastructure.
Benefits of a GDPR system
Using a GDPR system, rather than taking a manual approach to protecting data, has several key benefits that can make the process of protecting personal data more manageable. Here are some of the benefits of choosing a GDPR system, to list just a few:
- Better protections: GDPR systems often offer advanced security features, including encryption and access control, thus effectively protecting personal data and reducing the risk of human error.
- Time-saving: A GDPR system automates many of the processes involved in complying with data protection regulations. This reduces the need for manual actions, saving time.
- Compliance: A good GDPR system is designed to keep up with and respond to changes in legislation. This ensures you stay up-to-date and compliant with the latest requirements,
- Management: Get centralised management of all data protection activities. Indeed, you are responsible for how everyone in your company handles data. Therefore, you will need an easy way to monitor employee compliance.
- Data breaches: An automated system can help detect anrespond to potential data breaches faster than manual processes. Without delay, investigate, report and mitigate the effectds of a breach.
- Documentation: Some GDPR systems automate report generation, both to monitor your own data protection progress and demonstrate it to regulators when audited.
Start your privacy cleanup with the big picture
A GDPR Risk report gives you a complete overview of the privacy risk in your company. The report is based on a scan with DataMapper.
Choosing the right GDPR system
Above all, choosing the right GDPR system and tools should be based on your business. With this in mind, here are some considerations to keep in mind when choosing a GDPR system:
- What types of personal data do you handle and how much?
- What are your most labor-intensive GDPR tasks?
- Is the GDPR system you are considering easy to implement and use?
- Does the GDPR system fit with your existing IT systems and work processes?
- How much can you afford to spend on a GDPR system?
- How much will it save you in GDPR fines and reputational damage in the long run?
Once you’ve chosen a system the next thing to consider is whether the system provider is reliable. For example, will the provider give good customer service and provide regular system updates that keep up with regulations?
Get started with a GDPR system
A GDPR system is an effective aid to compliance. Not to mention, an investment in the future success and credibility of your business. By using an effective system, companies can safely navigate the complex task of protecting personal data.
At Safe Online, we have created the GDPR system PrivacyHub for this purpose. In brief, PrivacyHub makes it easier to handle personal data under GDPR. PrivacyHub has three tools that make it easy to manage sensitive data. While DataMapper is a data discovery tool, ShareSimple is an email portal tool and RequestManager is a request portal tool.
DataMapper – Find your sensitive data
ShareSimple – Send and receive data securely in Outlook
RequestManager – Process data subject requests easily
Sebastian Allerelli
Founder & COO at Safe Online
Sebastian is the co-founder and COO of Safe Online, where he focuses on automating processes and developing innovative solutions within data protection and compliance. With a background from Copenhagen Business Academy and experience within identity and access management, he has a keen understanding of GDPR and data security. As a writer on Safe Online's Knowledge Hub, Sebastian shares his expertise through practical advice and in-depth analysis that help companies navigate the complex GDPR landscape. His posts combine technical insight with business understanding and provide concrete solutions for effective compliance.
