How to Secure Your Varonis for GDPR and Get the Compliance Badge/Seal

 

Securing your Varonis environment for GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) isn't just about technology—it also includes people, processes, and documentation. The GDPR badge or compliance seal means your organization can prove that it keeps personal data safe and respects privacy rights. Let’s break down what this really means for you:

• Understand What GDPR Requires: The GDPR is a strict privacy regulation in the EU. It protects people’s personal data. If your company touches data from EU citizens, you must follow these rules—no matter where your business is based. Compliance means you must keep that data safe, let people access their data, and only use it for clear reasons.
• Know How Varonis Supports GDPR: Varonis is a security platform that watches who is accessing files, folders, and emails. It points out where sensitive or personal data is stored (like names, addresses, or medical records), tracks who accesses it, and tells you if something odd happens.
• Lock Down Data Access: Use Varonis to make sure only the right people can access personal data. Run reports to see who has permissions. Remove anyone who doesn’t need it. Regularly check for “open shares”—folders that anyone could access by accident.
• Audit and Monitor All Data Activity: Set up Varonis to watch all file activity. This means you’ll see if anyone is reading, copying, deleting, or moving files, especially those containing personal data. Varonis alerts you to strange activity, like someone downloading too many files at once or changing permissions.
• Use Data Classification: Varonis scans your storage to find files with personal information. Tag and label such data clearly, so you know what’s sensitive, and focus your security efforts there.
• Respond Quickly to Data Incidents: If there’s a data leak—like a lost laptop or a cloud folder exposed—Varonis helps you investigate what happened quickly. GDPR says you have to report major data breaches within 72 hours. Prepare workflows for how to respond and use Varonis incident evidence for your reports.
• Regularly Audit and Prove Compliance: For the GDPR badge/seal and to pass audits, you must prove that your policies actually work. Use Varonis’ audit trails and reports to show regulators who has access, how your data is protected, and what steps you took in case of incidents. Save proof of every review and change you perform.
• Involve People, Not Just Technology: Train your staff about privacy, phishing, and basic security. GDPR compliance isn’t just IT’s job—it’s everyone’s.
• Use a Consultant for Assessment: Consider partnering with firms like OCD Tech for a full readiness assessment. They help you check your Varonis setup against GDPR standards, guide you through documentation, and make sure you’re ready for audits.

 

What’s Required for the GDPR Compliance Badge/Seal?

 

You can’t buy an official “GDPR certificate” from the government, but you can get a badge/seal from trusted third parties who audit GDPR security practices. To pass, you’ll need to:

• Have clear data protection policies, roles (like a Data Protection Officer), and staff awareness programs.
• Prove all personal data access is logged and monitored (Varonis makes this easier).
• Show you remove unneeded access rights fast and clean up old data.
• Document every risk assessment and mitigation step.
• Respond effectively to data subject requests (like “delete my data” or “what data do you hold on me?”).
• Regularly test your data breach response plan.
• Get an expert review/report—like from OCD Tech—to prove your readiness.

 

What’s Most Important for Passing GDPR Audits?

 

• Control and Monitor Access: Prove you only let people see what’s necessary. Clean up old permissions, and fix open shares immediately.
• Have Evidence: Always save detailed audit logs, permissions reviews, and incident response records from Varonis. Auditors will ask for proof, not words.
• Be Proactive, Not Reactive: Don’t wait for an incident. Regularly schedule GDPR reviews, check for new risks, and update your policies as laws change.
• Engage a Readiness Expert: Use an external partner like OCD Tech for a readiness assessment. Their experience can help catch gaps—saving you time and costly risks.