GDPR audit for SMBs — without a consultant
Data protection authorities are actively enforcing. When regulators ask for proof of GDPR compliance, you want that answer ready — not to start looking for it. ComplianceHive gives you a structured audit overview: processing register, vendors, data subject rights and findings in one place.
Free to start, no credit card required. Results within an afternoon.
What do regulators check during a GDPR audit?
The supervisory authority has five focus areas that come up in almost every GDPR inspection. If you have your documentation in order on each of these points, you are in a strong position.
1. Processing register
Is your register complete, current and filled in per processing activity? Missing retention periods or outdated vendors are immediate findings.
2. Processor agreements
Do you have a signed processor agreement with every vendor that processes personal data on your behalf? This is actively checked.
3. Data subject rights
Do you have a documented procedure for access requests, rectification requests and erasure requests? And can you prove they have been handled?
4. Breach register
Do you register all data breaches, including incidents that did not need to be reported to the DPA? An internal register is mandatory regardless of the severity of the incident.
5. DPIA for high-risk processing
Have you conducted and documented a Data Protection Impact Assessment for high-risk processing activities? Think profiling, biometric data or large-scale processing.
5 steps to a GDPR audit-ready organisation
- 1
Get your processing register in order
Go through each record: is the purpose still current? Is the retention period filled in? Is the legal basis correct? ComplianceHive shows you directly which processing activities are incomplete or whose review has lapsed.
- 2
Check all processor agreements
Make a list of all SaaS tools and service providers that have access to personal data. ComplianceHive tracks per vendor whether a signed processor agreement is in place and when it was last reviewed.
- 3
Document your data subject rights procedure
Who in your organisation receives access requests? What is the response time? How do you document handling? ComplianceHive registers incoming requests and evidence of handling.
- 4
Review your breach register
Every data breach — including incidents that did not need to be reported to the DPA — must be internally registered. ComplianceHive has a breach module where you record incidents with date, scope, affected data and measures taken.
- 5
Export your audit documentation
When regulators ask for evidence, export from ComplianceHive an overview of processing activities, vendors, requests and breaches. Version history shows who recorded what and when. Your audit is ready rather than just beginning.
What ComplianceHive tracks for your audit
Processing register
Per processing activity: purpose, legal basis, categories of data subjects, retention period, involved systems and vendors. Always current, always exportable. Read more about our processing register software.
Vendor management and processor agreements
Per vendor: contact details, processor agreement present yes/no, risk class, review date. Automatic reminders when a review lapses. Read more about vendor management for GDPR.
Data subject rights
Register, assign and handle incoming access, rectification and erasure requests. Every request recorded with deadline and evidence of handling.
Breach register
Internal registration of every incident: date, scope, affected data, measures taken, and whether reporting to the DPA was required. Complete audit trail.
Audit export
Export a complete overview at any time for regulators, clients or internal review. Version history included.
Frequently asked questions about GDPR audits
- How often should you do a GDPR audit?
- GDPR does not set a fixed audit frequency, but enforcement practice and legal advice point to at least once a year. You also do an interim check after organisational changes, new tools, data breaches or complaints from data subjects. The larger the organisation and the more personal data processed, the more often an audit makes sense.
- Is a GDPR audit mandatory?
- GDPR does not explicitly require periodic audits, but it does require demonstrable compliance — which amounts to the same thing. You must be able to prove at any moment that your processing register is correct, your processor agreements are current, you can handle data subject rights, and you register data breaches. Anyone who cannot demonstrate this is not compliant, even if they know the rules by heart.
- What does an external GDPR audit cost?
- An external GDPR audit by a privacy consultant typically costs between €2,000 and €8,000, depending on the size of the organisation and number of processing activities. With ComplianceHive you run the audit internally using your own documentation, without external costs. External review can follow as a supplement, not a replacement.
- Can I do a GDPR audit myself?
- Yes, and for most SMBs that is the most practical approach. An internal GDPR audit means: going through your processing register for completeness and accuracy, checking your processor agreements, testing your data subject rights procedure, and reviewing your breach register. ComplianceHive gives you the structure to do this systematically, with an overview of open findings.
- What are the most common GDPR audit findings?
- The five most common findings at SMB GDPR audits: (1) processing register is incomplete or outdated, (2) missing or expired processor agreements with SaaS vendors, (3) no documented procedure for data subject requests, (4) breach register is missing or incompletely maintained, (5) retention periods have not been defined or are not enforced.
Prepare your GDPR audit in ComplianceHive
Processing register, vendor management, data subject rights and breach register in one tool. GDPR audit-ready without an accountant or external consultant. Free to start, no credit card required.