GDPR compliance that survives a regulator's questions
The EU's data protection regulation applies to anyone processing EU residents' personal data, wherever you're based. GRXForce's AI Evidence Agent operationalizes it: records, DSR workflows, DPIAs, and vendor accountability, tested and drafted into workpapers, not just documented once.
What is GDPR?
The General Data Protection Regulation governs how personal data of people in the EU is collected, processed, and transferred. It assigns duties to controllers and processors, requires a lawful basis for every processing activity, grants data subjects enforceable rights, and backs it all with penalties reaching 4% of global annual turnover for the most serious infringements.
What it takes, at a glance
- Records of Processing Activities (Article 30) kept current, not drafted once and forgotten
- Lawful basis identified and documented for every processing purpose
- Data subject request (DSR) handling within statutory timelines
- Data Protection Impact Assessments for high-risk processing
- Processor agreements and transfer mechanisms (SCCs) for vendors outside the EU
Your readiness checklist
- Inventory every processing activity and its lawful basis
- Stand up a DSR intake and fulfillment workflow with statutory timelines tracked
- Screen processing activities for DPIA triggers before launch, not after
- Paper every processor relationship with a DPA and, where needed, SCCs
- Build and rehearse a 72-hour breach notification process
How the timeline actually breaks down
Where most programs actually stand
A GDPR gap assessment maps what personal data you actually hold against what the regulation requires you to prove, records, lawful basis, DSR readiness, and breach response. GRXForce's assessment gives you a preliminary exposure score in minutes.
Check My GDPR ReadinessWhat auditors actually expect to see
- A current Record of Processing Activities, dated and reviewed on a schedule
- DSR fulfillment logs showing response times against statutory deadlines
- Executed DPAs and Standard Contractual Clauses for every relevant vendor
- A completed DPIA for any high-risk processing activity, with mitigations documented
- Breach response runbook with a rehearsed timeline to the 72-hour notification window
Where programs like yours lose time
- Assuming GDPR doesn't apply because the company isn't based in the EU
- Writing a Record of Processing Activities once and never updating it as products change
- Relying on consent as the lawful basis for everything, when another basis fits better and is more durable
- Missing DSR statutory deadlines because there's no formal intake workflow
- Signing vendor contracts with no DPA or transfer mechanism for data leaving the EU
How GDPR compares
| Framework | Type | Typical timeline | Renewal | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 27001:2022 | Certification | 6-12 months typical | 3-year cycle + annual surveillance | Any company selling globally, especially outside the US |
| SOC 2 Type II | Attestation (CPA report) | 3-12 month observation window | Annual Type II report | SaaS companies selling to US enterprise customers |
| GDPR | Regulation | Ongoing, no certificate | Continuous | Anyone processing EU residents' personal data |
| DPDPA 2023 | Regulation | Ongoing, no certificate | Continuous | Anyone processing Indian residents' digital personal data |
| HITRUST CSF | Certification | 6-18 months by tier | 1-2 year cycle by tier | Healthcare and health-tech handling PHI |
| NIST CSF | Voluntary framework | Ongoing, self-assessed | Continuous | US federal contractors and critical infrastructure |
| PCI DSS | Industry mandate | 3-6 months typical | Annual (ROC or SAQ) | Anyone storing, processing or transmitting card data |
| SOX ITGC | Regulatory (internal controls) | Ongoing, tested annually | Annual audit cycle | US public companies and their auditors |
| HIPAA | Regulation | Ongoing, no certificate | Continuous | US healthcare providers, payers and business associates |
Run it yourself, or hand us the programme
See exactly how GRXForce runs a GDPR control test: the AI Evidence Agent discovers and reviews the evidence and drafts the workpaper, you make the final call.
See It Run in the Audit Engine →Frequently asked
We're not in the EU, does GDPR apply to us?
If you offer goods or services to people in the EU or monitor their behaviour, yes. Territorial scope under Article 3 catches most SaaS businesses with any European users.
Do we need a Data Protection Officer?
Only in specific cases, public authorities, large-scale systematic monitoring, or large-scale processing of special-category data. Many companies appoint a privacy lead anyway; our managed service can operate that function for you.
How does GDPR interact with India's DPDPA?
They share DNA, consent, purpose limitation, breach notification, but differ in detail. GRXForce maps both to one control set so Indian companies serving EU customers run a single program.
Also covered: ISO 27001:2022 SOC 2 Type II DPDPA 2023 HITRUST CSF NIST CSF PCI DSS SOX ITGC HIPAA