GDPR compliance is not a one-time project; it is an ongoing discipline that touches almost every IT system handling personal data. While the regulation is broad, the IT-related obligations boil down to a manageable set of controls. Use this checklist to assess where your business stands in 2025.
1. Map your personal data
You cannot protect what you do not know you have. Document what personal data you collect, where it is stored, who can access it, and why you hold it. This Record of Processing Activities is both a legal requirement and the foundation for every other control.
2. Establish a lawful basis
Every processing activity needs a lawful basis — consent, contract, legitimate interest, and so on. Make sure consent, where you rely on it, is freely given, specific, and as easy to withdraw as to give.
3. Implement access controls
Restrict access to personal data on a need-to-know basis using role-based access control. Enforce MFA on systems holding personal data and review access rights regularly to remove anyone who no longer needs them.
4. Encrypt data at rest and in transit
Encryption is a recommended safeguard and a strong mitigation in the event of a breach. Encrypt laptops, mobile devices, backups, and databases, and use TLS for all data in transit.
5. Prepare for data subject requests
Individuals can request access to, correction of, or deletion of their data. Have a documented process to locate and act on a person's data across all your systems within the one-month deadline.
6. Have a breach response process
GDPR requires reporting qualifying breaches to your supervisory authority within 72 hours. Build breach detection and a clear escalation path so you can meet that window. This overlaps directly with your incident response plan.
7. Manage your processors
Any third party processing personal data on your behalf — cloud providers, payroll services, email marketing — needs a Data Processing Agreement. Maintain a register of these processors and review their compliance periodically.
8. Apply data protection by design
Bake privacy into new systems and processes from the start: minimize the data you collect, set sensible retention periods, and delete data you no longer need. Retrofitting privacy is far harder than designing it in.
Work through this checklist, close the gaps, and revisit it annually. GDPR rewards businesses that treat data protection as ongoing operational hygiene rather than a box-ticking exercise.
Korur Security Team
Korur-Sicherheitsteam