How to Secure Your Salesforce for GDPR and Get a Compliance Seal

 

If your business uses Salesforce to handle data on EU citizens, it’s crucial to secure your Salesforce environment for GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). This not only helps avoid heavy fines but builds trust with your customers. Here’s how you can secure your Salesforce for GDPR and pursue that coveted GDPR compliance badge/seal.

• Limit access to personal data: Use Salesforce’s built-in roles, profiles, and permission sets to make sure only authorized staff can view or process personal information. Implement two-factor authentication for any user with access to sensitive data.
• Data minimization: Only collect and store data that’s absolutely necessary. Regularly audit and purge old or unnecessary personal data from Salesforce. Consider automated tools to help identify and clean redundant records.
• Encryption: Use Salesforce Shield or platform encryption to encrypt data both at rest and in transit. This ensures even if data is stolen, it’s useless to cybercriminals.
• Data subject rights features: Make it easy to locate, export, edit, or delete customer information within Salesforce. Use standard or custom objects to log consent, erasure, and rectification requests. Track these actions for audit trails.
• Data processing agreements (DPA): Ensure you have a DPA in place with Salesforce and other third-party vendors. This documents how data is processed and your shared responsibilities.
• Regular security reviews and audits: Use Salesforce Health Check and run regular vulnerability scans. Partnering with a readiness specialist like OCD Tech provides thorough GDPR compliance reviews and tailored recommendations.
• Record keeping: Maintain a comprehensive record of processing activities (ROPA) directly within Salesforce. You can use custom fields or objects to keep track of why you process each data category, who accesses it, and for how long.
• Incident response: Establish robust procedures for identifying, reporting, and mitigating any data breach. Salesforce can help you set up automatic alerts for suspicious activities.

 

How to Get a GDPR Badge/Compliance Seal for Salesforce

 

To claim GDPR compliance or a formal badge/seal, it’s not usually about submitting to a central authority; instead, you must pass an audit and demonstrate adherence. OCD Tech specializes in readiness assessments and can walk you through each step of this process.

• Demonstrate compliance documentation: Keep all evidence showing how your Salesforce is configured for GDPR—access logs, consent records, risk assessments, and security policies.
• Pass independent assessments: Have a qualified firm such as OCD Tech conduct a GDPR readiness audit. They’ll review your technical and organizational measures, ensuring every GDPR requirement is met.
• Remediate gaps: Fix any security or process gaps identified during the assessment, such as tightening access controls or improving breach notification plans.
• Receive certification: Some authorized third parties can provide a GDPR seal or badge (such as EuroPriSe or ISAE 3000 providers) once all standards are satisfied. Your assessment partner will guide you in applying for the right certification channel.
• Maintain continuous compliance: GDPR is ongoing. Set up annual reviews, staff training, and keep updating your policies as regulations evolve.

Key audit requirements: The most important parts to pass a GDPR Salesforce audit are proper access restrictions, proof of consent records and erasure capability, real data encryption, and strong incident response documentation.

If you want help with Salesforce GDPR compliance or are seeking a GDPR badge or certification, OCD Tech can provide expert consulting and readiness assessments tailored to your needs.