Data Protection Audit
This Data Protection Audit is designed to help businesses review their current data protection practices and assess compliance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Structured as a practical “health check”, it supports regular internal review of how personal data is handled across key compliance areas.
The audit is organised around the core principles of the UK GDPR and the rights of data subjects. It is intended to help you evaluate existing systems, identify gaps, and review whether your current approach remains effective.
Use this audit to review your current data protection position
Regular auditing is an important part of maintaining compliance. This template is intended for businesses that want to assess data protection practice in a structured and methodical way, whether as part of routine compliance monitoring or in response to operational change.
The template also reflects best practice and guidance developed since the GDPR came into effect in May 2018, including updates made to help businesses assess risk and implement appropriate security measures in light of increased home working.
What the audit looks at
The audit covers a wide range of compliance areas, including:
- data protection by design and the use of data protection impact assessments;
- staff awareness and training;
- lawfulness and fairness of processing;
- data adequacy, relevance, and accuracy;
- international data transfers;
- record keeping, retention, and deletion; and
- data security and data breaches.
Guidance notes to use alongside the audit
Detailed background information is available in the Data Protection Audit Guidance Notes. These notes are designed to be used with this template and guide you through the audit step by step, with explanatory material for each section.
Points to bear in mind before completing it
This is a detailed audit and it will take time to complete. Not every question will be relevant to every business, so where a question does not apply, it can simply be marked “n/a”.
Data Protection Audit is part of Business . Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Business for 1 year.