GDPR applies to any organization that processes the personal data of individuals in the EU/EEA, regardless of where the company is located.

• If your organization decides why and how personal data is processed, you are a Controller.

• If you process personal data on behalf of another organization, you are a Processor.

Many companies act as both Controllers (for employees, customers, users) and Processors (for client data).

At Sekurno, we clarify your role under GDPR, map your responsibilities, and develop the policies, contracts, and controls required for Controllers and Processors. This ensures your organization avoids role-based compliance gaps and is prepared to demonstrate accountability to regulators, clients, and partners.

Organizations subject to GDPR must:

• Identify and document a lawful basis for each type of processing.

• Maintain Records of Processing Activities (RoPA).

• Implement technical and organizational measures to protect personal data.

• Respect and respond to data subject rights (access, deletion, portability, objection).

• Put in place Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with vendors and subprocessors.

• Conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) where processing poses high risk.

At Sekurno, we support organizations in addressing all of these obligations — from documenting lawful bases and setting up RoPA, to managing vendors, conducting DPIAs, and implementing the security measures regulators expect.

The timeline depends on your operations and complexity:

• Small companies and startups: typically 3–5 months, focusing on policies, lawful bases, and vendor contracts.

• Mid-sized organizations: around 6–8 months, with broader vendor ecosystems, international transfers, and more data subject requests.

• Large enterprises: may require 9–12 months, particularly when integrating GDPR into multinational operations and legacy systems.

Sekurno accelerates this process with a readiness assessment, structured data mapping, and a phased roadmap tailored to your business needs.

GDPR compliance costs are unique for each company and depend on the complexity of your data processing, not just company size. Key factors include:

• The type and volume of data collected.

• Number of systems and vendors processing personal data.

• Complexity of international data transfers.

For example, a startup handling limited customer data may only need foundational policies and contracts, while a multinational enterprise processing sensitive data across borders will require extensive documentation, controls, and ongoing support.

Sekurno tailors compliance programs to your scale and data environment, ensuring cost-efficiency without sacrificing regulatory readiness.

GDPR is an ongoing obligation, not a one-off project. Organizations must:

• Continuously review and update privacy notices and RoPA.

• Monitor and respond to data subject requests.

• Regularly update vendor contracts and DPAs.

• Reassess risks and perform DPIAs when launching new initiatives.

Sekurno ensures your compliance is sustained over time, not just achieved once.

There is no single official GDPR certification issued by regulators. However, approved schemes such as Europrivacy or ISO/IEC 27701 can serve as evidence of compliance.

Sekurno conducts a post-implementation readiness assessment and issues a Statement of Compliance, which can be used to demonstrate accountability to partners, clients, and regulators.

A DPO must be appointed if your core activities involve:

• Large-scale processing of sensitive data (e.g., health, biometric, financial).

• Systematic monitoring of individuals (e.g., profiling, tracking).

Sekurno helps assess whether a DPO is required and provides a dedicated DPO-as-a-Service, ensuring you meet regulatory requirements without the overhead of building the role internally. Our experts act as your independent DPO, handling regulatory communications, advising on high-risk processing, and overseeing ongoing GDPR compliance.

Effective preparation ensures a smooth start to your compliance journey with Sekurno. Key steps include:

• Assign a responsible person to coordinate accountability and organizational matters.

• Collect existing policies, contracts, and vendor agreements relevant to personal data processing.

• Be ready for structured interviews to clarify data flows, lawful bases, and potential high-risk processing activities.

Sekurno uses this input to conduct a gap analysis, design a tailored GDPR roadmap, and lead the implementation process end to end.

The risks are significant:

• Fines: up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover (whichever is higher).

• Mandatory breach notifications within 72 hours, often leading to public disclosure and loss of trust.

• Regulatory investigations by EU Data Protection Authorities.

• Civil lawsuits from individuals.

• Reputational damage and loss of business opportunities.

GDPR has strict rules for handling personal data breaches. If a breach occurs, organizations must:

• Notify the supervisory authority (DPA) within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach, unless it is unlikely to result in risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms.

• Inform affected individuals without undue delay if the breach poses a high risk to their rights (e.g., identity theft, discrimination, financial loss).

• Document all breaches internally, regardless of severity, to demonstrate accountability.

• Cooperate with regulators and provide evidence of corrective measures taken.

Sekurno helps by setting up GDPR-compliant breach response frameworks ensuring you can react quickly, reduce risk, and maintain regulatory trust.

GDPR provides the foundation for global data protection, and overlaps with several frameworks:

• HIPAA: Both frameworks emphasize protecting personal data. They overlap in areas such as data privacy, breach reporting, consent, and data subject rights, making HIPAA a natural extension for companies already GDPR-compliant.

• ISO 27001: Strongly supports GDPR by providing a formal Information Security Management System (ISMS). Many of ISO 27001’s controls directly address Article 32 of GDPR (security of processing), including access management, encryption, audit logging, and incident response.

• National laws (UK GDPR, Swiss FADP, CCPA in California): These frameworks are built on GDPR principles but adapt requirements to local legal environments.

Sekurno helps companies build a scalable compliance infrastructure, ensuring GDPR requirements integrate smoothly with other obligations — avoiding duplication and reducing costs.