Both the EU and UK GDPR give people the right to access their personal data from data controllers to ensure lawful processing. This request, is known as a DSAR (data subject access request). Failure to respond to DSARs can lead to hefty administrative fines (under the GDPR: £17.5 million or up to 4% of annual global turnover – whichever is greater).
Handling these requests efficiently is a legal necessity yet it also presents opportunities for building trust. While DSAR compliance may initially seem daunting, proactively managing these requests can demonstrate to your customers that their privacy is taken seriously and their data is handled with care. That’s not to say that using a DSAR management tool is going to ensure compliance straight off the bat, however, the right software can help you streamline workflows, reduce operational burdens and improve data governance. With advanced DSAR software, organisations can not only respond swiftly to access requests but also gain deeper insights into the data they hold, fostering better decision-making and effective data-handling practices.
Below we’ve detailed some of the best DSAR software solutions. Each offers unique features and capabilities, so whether you are looking for advanced automation, seamless integration, data extraction, audit trails or comprehensive reporting, this list is a great starting point for exploring those top contenders on the market today.
1. OneTrust
OneTrust stands out as the premier choice in the DSAR software market, giving organisations a comprehensive suite to automate and streamline the entire process of handling data subject access requests. What makes OneTrust particularly compelling is its user-friendly interface combined with powerful automation capabilities.
You can automate your entire data subject access request (DSAR) fulfilment process, from intake and ID verification to data discovery, redaction, and secure response. The software also supports automatic identification, redaction, and secure delivery of personal data, significantly reducing manual efforts and the likelihood of errors. One Trust also supports many cloud and on-premises systems along with structured and unstructured data, making it easy for your team to flag data for review, no matter where or how it exists.
Key Features:
Automation: Operationalise all personal rights requests in a single platform, whether from a consumer or an employee, a request for access or deletion.
Integration: Seamless integration with existing IT infrastructure, including CRM and ERP systems. As leading One Trust implementation experts, The Data Privacy Group can ensure your privacy programme works for you. We will take your standard operating procedure for privacy and provide you with a dashboard view to gain insights and adapt as regulations change.
Agility: Adapt to changing regulations and company needs through centralised controls, guided workflows and visual dashboards.
Built for growth: Create enduring value through an information governance programme which is both robust and flexible enough to scale as you grow.
Reporting: Detailed reporting features help ensure compliance and provide insights into DSAR trends and metrics.
OneTrust’s approach to DSAR management enhances compliance and operational efficiency, making it the go-to solution for businesses of all sizes.
2. TrustArc
TrustArc is recognised as a robust privacy management platform with efficient DSAR handling tools. It allows businesses to efficiently track, manage, and fulfil access requests from data subjects. TrustArc’s strength lies in its privacy-centric design, which helps ensure that all DSAR activities are in line with global regulatory requirements.
Key Features:
Privacy Intelligence: Advanced analytics to guide DSAR processing and decision-making.
Customisation: Options to tailor workflows to match specific business processes.
Scalability: Capable of handling large volumes of DSARs.
3. Exterro
Exterro is geared towards businesses that require robust workflow capabilities. This DSAR software does very well at managing complex data landscapes, providing precise data mapping to facilitate quick and accurate responses to DSARs.
Key Features:
Data Mapping: Helps identify where personal data resides within the organization.
Workflow Automation: Customizable workflows that can be adjusted according to different regulatory demands.
Legal Hold Integration: Particularly useful for organisations that also need to manage legal holds alongside privacy requests.
4. Ketch
Ketch is a newer entrant in the DSAR software market but has made a name for itself with its advanced automation tools. The platform focuses on simplifying compliance across different legal territories, making it an excellent choice for multinational corporations.
Key Features:
Automated Compliance: Automatically adapts to the changing landscape of global privacy laws.
Data-Centric Management: Offers strong capabilities in data discovery and classification.
Scalable Infrastructure: Designed to handle the needs of growing businesses.
5. Transcend
Transcend combines a positive user experience with data control. It ensures that responding to DSARs is as smooth and user-friendly as possible, both for the data subject and the organisation handling the request.
Key Features:
Full Automation: Reduces manual effort significantly through intelligent automation.
User-Friendly Interface: Easy-to-use interfaces that facilitate quick adoption.
Detailed Auditing: Tracks and logs all DSAR activities for comprehensive oversight.
6. Segment
Segment includes effective tools for handling DSARs as part of its suite of data governance products. Its integration capabilities make it particularly useful for organisations that already rely on Segment for data management.
Key Features:
Integration Ecosystem: Leverages existing data infrastructure for efficient DSAR handling.
Real-Time Data Access: Quick access to data helps ensure timely DSAR responses.
Flexible Configuration: Allows customisation according to specific business needs.
7. Iubenda
Iubenda offers a unique approach to DSAR management by combining legal expertise with technological solutions. Its platform is specifically designed to simplify the complexities of privacy law compliance, making it particularly useful for smaller organisations or those without dedicated legal teams. The platform’s Internal Privacy Management helps you create extensive records that make it much easier to recover the data to reply to a DSAR or any other kind of user’s request.
Key Features:
Compliance Tools: Provides a comprehensive suite of tools tailored to address compliance with various regulations like GDPR.
Ease of Use: Features a user-friendly interface to help organisations implement and manage privacy requirements with minimal legal background. Iubenda’s solution also integrates smoothly into many existing websites and apps, providing a streamlined approach to managing privacy practices across multiple platforms.
Customisable Solutions: Allows for customisation of privacy policies and other legal documents directly through the platform, ensuring that they are aligned with the specific needs of the business.
Why the right platform is just the start…
Choosing the right DSAR management platform is just the beginning. Successful implementation is crucial for truly harnessing the potential of any DSAR solution, such as OneTrust, in enhancing compliance and building trust – it’s what we like to call “Trust as a Service”.
Trust as a Service
Our Professional Services team offers a comprehensive suite of services to ensure that your transition to OneTrust is not just smooth, but also strategically advantageous:
Implementation Services: We tailor your OneTrust environment to align perfectly with your business operations and regulatory requirements, ensuring that each setup meets the specific needs of your sector and jurisdiction.
Managed Services: Once OneTrust is up and running, our team continues to provide support and management services, ensuring that the system operates seamlessly and evolves with your organisation’s needs and external regulatory changes.
Support Services: Our experts are always on hand to assist with any queries or issues, ensuring that you maximise the benefits of your investment and keep your operations running smoothly.
With experience spanning multiple business verticals and legal territories, our Professional Services team understands the challenges your organisation faces. We customise your OneTrust tenant to address these challenges effectively. Our technical expertise, combined with our ability to translate complex technical and legal concepts for broader organisational understanding, ensures that our clients benefit from the wider adoption of trust-driven activities across all facets of their operations.
Make trust your competitive advantage
Your fully configured OneTrust environment operationalises your privacy programme to ensure it works effectively for your specific needs. We take your standard operating procedures for privacy and provide you with a dashboard view to gain actionable insights, enabling you to adapt as regulations change. This approach not only ensures compliance but also turns trust into a key competitive advantage.
Choosing the right DSAR software depends on several factors the size of your organisation, the complexity of the data environment, and specific regulatory needs. OneTrust, however, stands out as the top recommendation due to its comprehensive feature set, ease of integration, and robust automation capabilities, making it the preferred choice for companies aiming to simplify their data subject access request processes while ensuring compliance with global privacy regulations. If you’d like to learn more about us and how we can help you choose the right software for your requirements, please don’t hesitate to contact our experts today.
