RoPAs are the paperwork you hate. I get it
You think it’s a one & done, move on with your life situation
But let me tell you something you may not realise
You can lean on your RoPA & it saves you
Not during compliance checks - but in real-life situations
I’ve done it time & time again so let me show you how:
1- In case of a breach
It helps you swiftly locate the source, affected data, systems you need to shut down & your first responder action plan
2- Auditors
Auditors love asking for RoPAs. Conversely, it also makes their stay shorter. Everyone’s happy & we can all go back to work
3- DSARs
A client of mine, following a breach, was hit with multiple DSARs at once. The only way we were able to avoid a logistical nightmare was going back to that RoPA
4- Retention
We once helped a client reduce data storage costs just by getting their RoPA to flag data that needs to be deleted
5- M&A
One of our clients just acquired another business. Their RoPA was crucial to understanding their data landscape
6- Vendors
We’re navigating this for a client right now. One of their vendors suddenly changed terms.
We’re going back to their RoPA to identify what data they handled & whether it’s worth renegotiating or just replacing them
7- Privacy notices
We’ve helped businesses refresh their privacy notices using their RoPA. They went from generic, vague statements to notices that actually reflected their practices.
If you think a RoPA is optional, think again
Knowing your ̉business is power
But knowing where your data is, how it flows & who’s using it is priceless
A RoPA isn’t a burden → it’s peace of mind
P.S. What are some more ways a RoPA can be helpful?
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