Compliance Audit

A systematic examination and evaluation of an organization's privacy practices, policies, procedures, and controls to assess compliance with applicable privacy laws and internal policies. Compliance audits can be internal (conducted by the organization's own team), external (performed by independent auditors), or regulatory (mandated by authorities). A thorough privacy compliance audit reviews data inventories, processing activities, legal bases, consent mechanisms, data subject rights handling, security measures, vendor management, breach response procedures, training programs, and documentation. Audits identify gaps, assess risks, and recommend improvements. Regular compliance audits demonstrate accountability, catch issues before they become violations, prepare organizations for regulatory scrutiny, and build trust with customers and partners. The audit frequency depends on risk factors, but many organizations conduct annual privacy audits with more frequent reviews of high-risk areas.