Compliance Programmes
Getting data protection and other compliance frameworks right requires a structured approach. Fort Privacy’s Compliance Programmes are built around our Compliance Framework — a proven, practical model that brings much-needed structure to the compliance journey. We always say that “compliance is a journey and not a destination”. Think of the Fort Privacy Framework as the map that brings you along that journey.
Our framework is designed to align with and map across multiple regulatory requirements — GDPR, the AI Act, ISO 27001, NIS2, DORA, Cyber Essentials and others — so that organisations can build integrated compliance programmes rather than managing each framework in isolation.
Embedding a compliance culture in your organisation is key. Our programmes are designed to operate cross functionally to ensure there is consistency and structure.
Our framework covers 10 areas of compliance, providing a comprehensive structure to ensure that everything your organisation needs to address is covered. We use this to form the basis for your bespoke Compliance Programme taking a risk-based approach.
| CONTROL AREA | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| GOVERNANCE | A defined structure exists for policy, decision making and reporting with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for data protection compliance. |
| ACCOUNTABILITY | The organisation can demonstrate compliance and meet the GDPR principle of accountability for its data processing activities. |
| LEGAL BASIS | A valid Legal Basis is identified for each processing activity. |
| RISK MANAGEMENT | Data protection risks are managed and Risk Assessments are conducted where required. |
| DATA SUBJECT RIGHTS | Policies and procedures are implemented to facilitate and respond to Data Subjects who exercise their rights under the GDPR. |
| TRANSPARENCY | Data subjects are informed about processing activities in a clear and transparent way. |
| BREACH MANAGEMENT | Controls are implemented to appropriately manage, mitigate and respond to personal data breaches. |
| DATA SHARING | Personal data is only shared using valid legal mechanisms and appropriate controls. |
| DATA MANAGEMENT | Personal Data is managed to ensure consistency with the principles of purpose limitation, data minimisation, accuracy and storage limitation. |
| SECURITY | Technical and organisational measures are implemented to manage and secure personal data. |
Maturity Model Framework
Our Compliance Framework is supported by a Maturity Model that documents five levels of compliance maturity: Ad Hoc, Established, Implemented, Measured and Optimised. This approach allows us to evaluate where your organisation is in its compliance journey across all applicable frameworks and tailor our programme to deliver the most appropriate support.
The maturity model also supports a risk-based approach. An organisation processing lower-risk data may not need to be at the highest maturity level across all categories and can set appropriate targets based on its risk profile and regulatory obligations. This is particularly valuable where organisations need to demonstrate compliance across multiple frameworks — the maturity model helps prioritise effort where it matters most.
What You Get from a Compliance Programme
If you implement a Compliance programme you will get:
• A structured compliance programme mapped to the relevant compliance regime as applicable
• Clear measurement of your current compliance maturity
• Realistic, risk-based targets for improvement
• A comprehensive suite of templates, policies and processes
• Confidence and certainty in your data protection programme
The Fort Privacy GDPR Compliance Framework
We always say that “compliance is a journey and not a destination”. Think of the Fort Privacy Framework as the map that brings you along that journey.
We are delighted to share that map with you, with a detailed explanation of each category of the Framework. This is not an academic whitepaper because we wanted to document something that any business who is using the Fort Privacy Framework or wants to use the framework can pick-up and use. We hope you try it out. With or without our support it will help bring structure and focus to your GDPR compliance journey. Just remember to give us the credit.
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Complete this form if you would like to find out more about the service – in confidence and with no commitment other than an informal discussion.