Effectively Handling DSAR Requests with eDiscovery Compliance Solutions

 

Exploring the options as the number of DSAR and privacy regulations multiply

Even though data privacy compliance has been a contentious matter for some time, authorities and businesses have only lately begun to take serious steps to address consumers' concerns. More so, following the implementation of the GDPR in 2018 and the CCPA compliance in 2020, businesses are on notice to ensure that they are prepared to respond to consumer data subject access requests (DSARs) and change when new laws are enacted. Needless to say, these privacy compliance laws have resulted in a flood of DSARs, which is only expected to increase with the planned Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) in January 2023 and the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) in July 2023.

However, though 87% of organizations reported experiencing delays in selling to existing customers or prospects, the same survey also found that 97% recognized that their privacy investments yield benefits such as competitive advantage or investor appeal. As a result, it is not unreasonable to assert that, despite the obstacles, organizations achieve what 97% state by employing appropriate processes and technology.

The Obstacle

Responding to DSARs is unquestionably expensive and time-consuming since organizations frequently store personal data in different systems, needing careful collaboration across teams, even for a single DSAR. To put things in perspective, according to a recent Gartner study, the average cost to a company of each request is around $1,400.

To get this sorted, companies must have adequate procedures and workflows in place to accommodate a range of DSAR demands from various countries while also adhering to privacy compliance regulations. To do so, the firm requires a preparedness strategy that covers all the essential areas and prepares the company and the employees to respond quickly and adequately.

Additionally, determining how to aggregate data so that it can be prepared appropriately for the inquiring agency, as well as how to coordinate and collate data throughout the organization's associated apps and infrastructure, are all essential concerns as you prepare your workflows and processes.

Workflows and Processes

To move forward with DSAR requests efficiently, legal teams will need to establish flexible and transparent processes. To do so, they will need all the automation and data analytics capabilities of today's most robust eDiscovery and compliance solutions, which will allow them to reduce response time and costs while also providing better visibility into workflows.

To get the most out of your DSAR workflow, it must be completely integrated with your data privacy management system. If, as an employer, you are required to search employees' personal devices, personal email accounts, and personal social media accounts, the structure of your DSAR workflow must reflect the distinct features of each of these data sources.

The usefulness of sophisticated technology in limiting organizational risk in cost, compliance management, and efficiency grows as the quantity and complexity of DSAR requests across multiple privacy jurisdictions grows.

Mapping of Data

Enterprises must be able to quickly identify all the data subject's personal information to manage better the compliance requirements imposed by consumer privacy legislation.

Your eDiscovery solution should enable you to immediately understand how data is kept across all your organization's interconnected applications and infrastructure parts, including SaaS apps, data lakes, and hosted databases.

Data mapping aids in the tracking of data throughout its life cycle, from collection to processing to storage and deletion. This is especially relevant when personal data is transferred from one country to another and is subject to different privacy laws.

Retention of Data

Knowing exactly where personal data is kept also helps businesses safeguard and govern that data and adhere to data privacy compliance regulations. It also assists you in determining if personal information is used or maintained for purposes other than the original, legitimate purpose and ensures that, where necessary, corrections or deletions are performed in all areas where that information is held. It is critical to understand your sun-setting data policies – and how they will successfully influence your capacity to respond to DSARs.

Again, automation will help you run these operations more efficiently and cost-effectively while also ensuring that you stay in compliance with ever-changing and more strict standards. Fines for missing deadlines are expensive, which just adds to the expense of DSARs. Targeted technologies supporting efficient early case assessment will aid in the understanding and refinement of processes and the monitoring of progress and, eventually, save time and money.

Organizations anticipating a high stream of DSAR requests may get ahead of the game using the correct eDiscovery software. They may begin right now by evaluating, updating, and building an inventory of personal data processing operations, identifying assets, and developing and implementing comprehensive data protection practices.