The 9 Top Data Privacy Management Software for 2025

Handling the massive volumes of personal and sensitive data collected by businesses is a challenge at the best of times, and the ever-changing regulatory landscape certainly doesn't help.

That's where privacy management software steps in — it gives organizations a 360 degree view of their data and keeps them abreast of what regulations dictate. 

What's In Store for Data Privacy in 2025?

It's becoming a cliche to say that the world of data privacy is in constant flux, but that's the firm reality as we step into 2024. Here are some tangible changes and predictions for the year ahead.  

Google Consent Mode Now Applicable in the EU & EEA 

Google Consent Mode sounds like a complicated topic to unravel, but the TL;DR version is that websites looking to advertise via Google Ads in Europe or earn money via Adsense revenue in the region need to integrate with a Google-certified consent management platform or they run the risk of suspension.

Why? That's because Google's been looking at ways to effectively track and manage consent for its audience in Europe — those who opt out of data tracking need to be categorized as such and their consent preferences stored. This is part of a wider strategy to comply with strict data protection laws in Europe. For this, Google partnered with IAB Europe's Transparency and Consent Framework to vet and certify CMPs.

Consent mode has now rolled out across Europe, with many users reporting an error message as they open Google Ads (if not integrated with a vetted CMP). There are expectations that the scope of consent mode may broaden into SEO and trust signals, with websites penalized in search if they don't actively ask for and store valid consent. 

Definitely an area to keep an eye out on.

Consent management in general has been a hot button topic in data privacy with Quebec Law 25 (North America's strictest data privacy law) taking effect Q4 2023. Law 25 requires websites storing data of residents of Quebec to opt-out of tracking by default and store consent signals via a robust CMP.

Stricter Controls on Generative AI Companies

The EU finalized plans to regulate AI companies with the world's first regulation on artificial intelligence late last year. We expect other countries and regions to follow suit with a close eye on AI governance, training methods, and algorithmic bias.

The regulatory framework for AI was first proposed to the EU parliament by the European Commission in April 2021. So, this is not a reaction to the recent rise of ChatGPT, which was first released in November 2022. The recent surge in AI-based systems, including Google’s Gemini AI could require further amendments to the regulations, which are expected to be rolled out in phases during the course of 2024.

State-led Privacy Laws Continue to Dominate the US Legal Landscape

While the federal government of the USA won’t be producing any privacy regulations this year, the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) has updated its regulations map to account for New Hampshire passing its own privacy legislation. This act has not yet been signed by the state’s governor and it won’t take effect until January 1, 2025. So as far as NH businesses are concerned, 2024 will be a year of preparation rather than implementation. 

The New Hampshire move follows hard on the heels of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s signing into law that state’s new data privacy law. Although the act is now officially a law, it won’t come into effect until January 16, 2025. Kentucky and Wisconsin are expected to finalize their data privacy laws during the course of 2024.

Chrome Getting Rid of Third-Party Cookies

The first big change is that Google is finally removing third-party cookies from Chrome in a staggered rollout that will finish by the end of the year. This is a massive change for the marketing and advertising industry, and will force organizations to collect first party data to track their customer journeys accurately.

The phaseout began on January 4, 2024, with cookies being blocked for just 1 percent of Chrome users. This percentage will increase over time until 100 percent of users are covered by the ban by Q3 2024. This innovation is driven by a judgment made by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority. The move doesn’t remove all cookies, however, but specifically relates to trackers. 

Now, let's dive into our list.

The 9 Best Privacy Management Tools

This post of the best data privacy management tools takes a closer look at software that covers a variety of needs. We'll dive into tools that are best suited for complex enterprise needs, as well as those that specialize in large websites with multiple subdomains. There's something in this list for everyone.

We analyze whether the software can deliver on:

• An ability to meet regulatory compliance needs around GDPR, Quebec Law 25, CCPA, and more
• Region-specific cookie consent management and additional privacy workflows like data access requests
• Advanced features like data mapping, privacy impact assessments, data governance, and more
• A track record of excellence and customer satisfaction

1. Enzuzo (Best All-Round Software)

Enzuzo is a versatile tool that's recently added a host of value-added features to help companies tackle all their data privacy needs. 

Features & Product

Enzuzo offers a global compliance solution that helps businesses meet the requirements of GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, Quebec Law 25, and more. Its most recent core update is a world-class cookie consent management tool that can be toggled to appear for website visitors from specific regions and countries, and includes advanced features like cross-domain consent, cookie categorization, and audit trails. 

For example, Enzuzo’s cookie consent tool can be configured to show automatic opt-in for visitors from the U.S., but not for those in Europe and Canada. This is critical for both GDPR compliance and newer regulations like Quebec Law 25. 

Enzuzo is also a Google-certified CMP solution that's vetted by IAB Europe's Transparency & Consent Framework (more on that below) — making it a great fit for agencies that juggle multiple clients and domains running Ads services in Europe.

Larger corporations, those in the market for data governance and data mapping services, privacy impact assessments, record of processing activities, and third-party threat assessments are covered in its enterprise plan. 

The Enterprise plan adds a full governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) system to the cookie consent management features of the lower plans. This, then, becomes an all-in-one solution for enterprises that manage personally identifiable information in addition to the legal cover for websites of the core Enzuzo features.

The data mapping service in this edition regularly sweeps all corporate data stores for sensitive data locations, which are then monitored closely. A data privacy compliance dashboard accumulates all of the research that your employees and manager conduct in order to form a Privacy Impact Analysis (PIA). Reviews of the progress towards full compliance with a stated standard are shown in the dashboard, providing your business with a Compliance Health Rating and a Data Risk Score. 

The effectiveness of the vendors that supply the service your business relies on is evaluated by sending out questionnaires. The responses to those third-party risk assessment questions are evaluated by the dashboard, altering your scores and moving you closer to full compliance. Adjustments and reviews repeat until you hit a full compliance rating. Workflows ease much of the workload that this push for compliance places on the shoulders of your employees. 

While these advanced features are not offered as a self-serve experience, Enzuzo's white glove onboarding service means engineers are on board to assist with the migration and set up all technical environments beforehand. Furthermore, a demo is available should you want to ask beforehand and ensure compatibility. The enterprise plan also includes privacy audits, privacy controls, and privacy incident management to deal with data breaches. 

New Analytics Capabilities

Enzuzo’s new analytics feature offers valuable support to marketers and business owners in several ways:

• Optimizing Pageviews and Consent Behavior: Gain insights into how users engage with your consent banner, analyze trends and opt-in rates, and make adjustments to increase consent rates.

• Comprehensive Compliance Evidence: Beyond standard consent logs, this tool provides clear proof of compliance. The dashboard summarizes how the consent banner functions across regions and highlights user interactions, making audits simpler.

• Effective Debugging Tools: Configuring consent banners can be complex. Tools like Google Tag Manager may cause unexpected issues, and differing regional rules add challenges. Businesses operating globally often rely on VPNs to simulate users from other countries. Enzuzo’s analytics provides detailed banner performance data, enabling early problem detection and resolution.

• Privacy-Compliant Analytics: The tool tracks interactions with the consent banner from unique website visitors, providing reliable metrics for funnel analysis. It also serves as a compliant alternative to tools like GA4, which face regulatory risks in the EU. Enzuzo uses only IP addresses and user agents to model visitors, ensuring complete privacy compliance.

Compliant With Google Consent Mode V2 & Certified CMP

As mentioned above, Enzuzo is a Google certified consent management platform — placing it in an elite category of software tools. The platform is at par with some of the best in the business, with pricing that delivers value. 

Integrating with Enzuzo keeps your Google Ads account compliant and able to deliver ads across Europe. For publishers, it allows you to keep receiving Adsense revenue. It's not to be taken lightly. 

We expect consent & trust signals to play a big role in future Google algorithm updates, so it's worth integrating with a certified vendor now rather than later. 

Trusted By Global Companies

Enzuzo is the data privacy compliance partner for several global organizations, including Lucy Group — an international electric business that employs over 1,600 people across 5 continents and 12 countries. 

Additionally, Enzuzo caters to the data privacy requirements of Power Corporation of Canada, a globally recognized management and holding company specializing in financial services across North America, Europe, and Asia.

UI / UX

One of the best things about Enzuzo is how multiple features and requests can be handled inside a simple, user-friendly dashboard. 

It's engineered to be fast, simple to set up and install quickly. All standard compliance workflows and legal pages can be embedded on your website with a couple of lines of Javascript — no complex integrations needed. Enzuzo will host and manage forms like Data Subject Access Requests and alert you when there's a ticket to be addressed.

Enzuzo's ease of use is a regular highlight across its reviews on G2.

Onboarding and Customer Support

We've analyzed customer support as a critical point here because things tend to break in software environments and quick customer service is crucial, especially in sensitive industries like data privacy.

Enzuzo offers personalized onboarding and assistance with technical migrations free of charge to help customers switch from another tool. What's more, another feature of its reviews is how quick customer service is to reply to any questions 👇

Pricing

Data privacy compliance software is a crucial cog in your business, but it shouldn't come at a colossal price tag. Many of the recommendations on this list expect customers to sign long-term contracts with average contract values in the multiple tens of thousands of dollars.

Enzuzo's cookie consent and compliance services are month-to-month, and customers can cancel anytime. Moreover, the pricing plans are reasonably priced and guaranteed to beat the competition.

For example, Enzuzo's 'Right to be Forgotten' privacy workflow is included in its growth plan for $29/month. Some other service providers sell it for $275/month as an add-on.

Enterprise plans can be customized to each client's needs but will also be similarly priced at a discount to the rest of the industry. 

Want to know how much a privacy management program will cost your business? Fill out the form below for a no-obligation quote 

Overall Thoughts

Enzuzo streamlines compliance management and offers many integrations with major web platforms such as Shopify, Webflow, and Wix. However, it does have some drawbacks such as an inability to integrate with connected TV environments or provide solutions for OFCCP compliance.

Nonetheless, if you're looking for the trifecta of cost-effective data privacy compliance, easy onboarding, and cost-effectiveness, we reiterate our stance that Enzuzo is the best pick for your data privacy management requirements.

Get on a complimentary 1-1 strategy call to understand your data privacy requirements. Book 1-1 time with Mate Prgin, CEO👇

2. DataGrail

DataGrail is a privacy management tool that helps companies streamline compliance, allowing companies to track and manage customer data across various systems and departments. It also provides helpful tools to automate dsar requests
 and other privacy-related tasks.

DataGrail helps organizations manage the data flow and data retention policies and conforms to many regulatory standards set by governments worldwide.

The heart of any consent management service is its communications with the user, which begins with a cookie consent notification or a consent management form. The DataGrail system provides a no-code method to construct data processing workflows for privacy policy management tasks. 

This ensures that your privacy program is able to deliver DSAR fulfillment and status reports in a timely manner.The software offers a range of features, including data mapping and inventory, consent management, policy and notice management, and vendor management. It also provides real-time dashboards and analytics to help businesses monitor their compliance efforts and identify areas of risk.

Pros of DataGrail:

• Technical feature set suitable for advanced users
• Strong customer service support
• Access to comprehensive training tools

Cons of DataGrail:

• High cost & need for technical resources
• Long onboarding and training time
• Poor usability

Overall Thoughts:

DataGrail offers an advanced suite of features that makes it a great choice for technical users, and it offers a range of helpful integrations with various popular systems such as Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Marketo, and HubSpot. In fact, DataGrail integrates with over 1,900 different enterprise applications to allow seamless data management across platforms.

DataGrail's mission is to simplify privacy compliance for companies of all sizes and to provide a more transparent and trustworthy relationship between businesses and their customers. However, the system tends to be rather technical and may be unsuitable for users interested in a more straightforward compliance management system. It also comes with a higher price tag, meaning managing data privacy may be costlier than expected.

For those with the technical acumen and resources to invest into training, however, DataGrail is a powerful option for data privacy.

3. BigID

BigID is a data discovery and intelligence platform that helps businesses discover and manage data across their entire enterprise. The tool specializes in data discovery and intelligence and offers great tools for assessing, classifying, and managing sensitive data sets, as well as automating data flow mapping. BigID accomplishes this through a series of tools, both out-of-the-box and configurable, that help companies make sense of their information.

The Data Privacy Management unit on the BigID platform provides you with your privacy program, which you can implement through privacy impact assessment (PIA) and data quality management. This mechanism enhances employee productivity by generating workflows to trigger automatically. You can automate your entire privacy program.

You can create a user portal that deals with all of the privacy policy management issues that members of the public could face when dealing with your business. These extend to consent policy management, including cookie consent records, and continue through to results, such as DSAR reports or data deletion confirmation. 

Pros:

• Enterprise-grade toolsets for data classification and cataloging
• Frequent updates to product releases & features
• Responsive customer support team

Cons:

• High effort required for data management
• Scope may be unsuitable for SMBs
• Poor UI & usability

Overall Thoughts:

BigID is an enterprise-grade data discovery and classification solution, and the platform’s pros and cons reflect that. While users will certainly find value in the powerful toolsets and broad range of discovery tools, the tools also require some hands-on management. Combined with a relatively unintuitive interface, navigation through BigID can be challenging for the uninitiated.

Despite this, BigID is backed by responsive technical and customer support teams. New updates are released frequently, and customer service representatives are willing to help users navigate any problems they may encounter. BigID is a great data discovery tool for enterprises, (over half of its user base is companies with $10B+ revenue), but its cost and complexity make it less suitable for smaller companies.

4. OneTrust (Best for Large Budgets)

OneTrust is a leading provider of privacy, security, and governance technology solutions. The company offers a comprehensive suite of software products that help businesses comply with global regulations, including GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, and more.

OneTrust's Privacy and Data Governance Cloud and other software products are designed to give organizations a powerful suite of features to manage their privacy, security, and governance programs. The software is scalable and can be customized to meet the unique needs of businesses across various industries. OneTrust also provides a range of professional services, including consulting and training, which help businesses optimize their privacy programs and comply with global regulations.

OneTrust is a great choice if you have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on compliance and can rely on in-house implementation and privacy experts to assist. We estimate that average contract values can be upwards of $50,000, depending on how many features you include in your plan. However, the firm makes cancellation difficult and charges extra for onboarding assistance.

Plenty of reviews point to how time-consuming and difficult it is to onboard OneTrust:

Pros:

• Strong features ideal for advanced users
• Centralized repository for documentation
• Many customization options

Cons:

• High learning curve
• Clunky onboarding and poor support
• Expensive pricing above the industry average
• Long contracts required

Overall Thoughts:

OneTrust is known for its innovative approach to privacy technology and has received numerous awards and recognitions for its products and services. The company has also partnered with leading organizations, including the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), to advance the privacy and security industry.

It's a fantastic choice for Fortune 500 customers, those with in-house privacy compliance officers, and corporations with deep pockets to spend on compliance services. 

The drawbacks of OneTrust include a steep learning curve, high licensing costs, and long contract terms. Modules and processes will need substantial configuration to perform correctly, which can be time-consuming. However, OneTrust is known for its strong community of users, both of which can help companies understand the system’s intricacies. This combined with OneTrust’s training tools can help ease the learning curve and ensure users get the most value out of the system.

5. Collibra

Collibra is a data governance cloud-based platform that helps organizations manage and govern their data assets. The platform enables businesses to understand, trust, and leverage their data. It is designed to support a range of use cases, including data governance, cataloging, data lineage, and data quality.

Collibra's software products provide a range of features that include automated data discovery and classification, data lineage visualization, data quality monitoring, data cataloging and indexing, and workflow management. The platform also includes collaboration and communication tools, for easy data sharing and enabling data stewards and analysts to work together and share knowledge.

The Collibra platform is a data mining system and its privacy program is there to ensure that companies pooling a lot of information for research aren’t breaking the law by holding PII without following the legal requirements of their location and the locations of their data subjects. Security issues that represent privacy risks should also be considered.

Data transparency has another benefit – it ensures that information is correct. So, automated notification workflows that provide coordination and reporting to members of the public are important elements of data verification. Dealing with questions from data subjects and providing reports on content should become central to gaining and retaining consent. 

Pros:

• Strong data governance functions
• Many integrations available
• Numerous product enhancements available

Cons:

• Steep learning curve with substantial onboarding required
• Poor UI management
• Third-party deployment support may be necessary

Overall Thoughts:

Collibra's platform is highly customizable, which enables businesses to tailor their data governance and management programs to meet their unique needs. The company is known for its innovative approach to data governance and management, and it offers a powerful way to get a handle on metadata management across the enterprise.

The complexity of Collibra’s platform is a big advantage for users with the technical acumen to pull it off, but less technically-minded organizations will struggle with implementation. Collibra’s interface can be unintuitive for many users, and even with proper planning, users may need to lean on third-party implementation support to truly get the most out of their investment. For organizations willing to invest the time into Collibra setup and management, it’s a worthy choice for data discovery and compliance.

6. Securiti

Securiti is a privacy and data security automation solution that provides a comprehensive platform for security, governance, and compliance across on-premise, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments in different geographies. Securiti's software products provide a range of features designed to provide end-to-end data protection, including sensitive data discovery, data cataloging, access intelligence & controls, security posture management, and more.

By providing a comprehensive approach to data privacy, Securiti helps organizations better understand and manage their sensitive data, reduce the risk of data breaches, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

The Securiti platform is very large and is divided up into modules to make the system more conceptually manageable. The service includes a Data Privacy Automation unit that implements workflows to reduce privacy risks. It automates tasks such as third-party risk management to ensure that vendors don’t have breaches that will drag your compliance ratings down. This unit is where you perform your evaluation of privacy risks and implement privacy impact analysis (PIA) that includes reviews of employees and working practices. 

A Data Consent Automation unit answers questions about cookie consent and consent issues that vendors need to address. Data reconciliation reviews and quick DSAR reports through automated workflows also contribute towards earning trust and cooperation. The Data Breach Impact and Response module includes tasks such as PIA reports and data subject and regulator notifications to stay compliant.  

Pros:

• Affordable costs across implementation and management
• User-friendly dashboards & data visibility
• Technical documentation and support available

Cons:

• No API key authentication
• No analytic capabilities
• Challenges when deploying at scale

Overall Thoughts:

Securiti is a strong privacy solution that leverages advanced techniques to help organizations automate key aspects of data privacy, governance, and security. The platform can scan and discover hundreds of data types across structured and unstructured assets in on-prem and cloud native environments.

A key selling point of Securiti is the wealth of features it provides at a reasonable price point. The platform coordinates a series of helpful dashboards and visualization tools to promote data transparency, and it comes with helpful technical resources to support onboarding.

However, users should note that Securiti does lack analytic capabilities found by other entries in this list as well as an API key. While users can harden their security architecture to accommodate this, it’s a distinction that may create downstream complexities as the company grows.

7. Drata

Drata is a compliance management system. It provides a high degree of process automation both for becoming compliant with a specific standard and for working within data governance rules – workflows have a lower risk of error than humans. 

The process of adopting one of the data privacy standards that Drata supports includes communication with vendors to implement a third-party risk assessment. This is implemented in the form of questionnaires, which are digital and generated by the Drata platform. The responses from your vendors are scored by the Drata system and add to your compliance health score. 

Other tasks in the journey to compliance include internal risk reviews, user access audits, and software configuration assessments. Documentation on the weaknesses that are discovered during the project and the measures taken to remediate them are stored in the Audit Hub section of the Drata platform. The ultimate goal is to prove that all issues have been addressed and that the system meets all of the requirements of the chosen standard.

The Drata workflows and targets can be automatically adjusted by selecting the target standard. This platform is able to enforce compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC2, ISO 27001, and the UK’s Cyber Essentials. 

Pros:

• Achieve transparency into compliance in the Trust Center
• Alerts for new and evolving risk
• Compliance goals with guides on how to achieve them

Cons:

• This is a large package that would be too much for small businesses
• Relies on its library of integrations to assess the risk in software packages
• Custom solutions can be difficult to formulate

Overall Thoughts:

The Drata platform has adaptations for startups, growing businesses, and established enterprises. This is a comprehensive package that gets your business compliance with a specific standard and then keeps the business on track through constant risk monitoring. The tool will raise alerts if new services are added to the system without consideration for data privacy or if existing security standards loosen.

The ultimate goal of the compliance exercise is to populate the Trust Center of the Drata dashboard. This is your repository of proof that you meet all of the requirements of your chosen standard. Thus, you are ready with all of the necessary documentation for spot-check compliance audits or demands from clients for proof as part of their vendor risk assessments.  

8. Ketch

Ketch is a cloud-based cookie consent and legal transparency system for websites with higher plans that offer compliance management. The service is graded to cater for different types of businesses, offering three plan levels.

The first plan from the Ketch platform is its Free edition. This provides a cookie consent system and a general consent banner. That’s probably enough for small sites and startup eCommerce enterprises that just want to get the show on the road. However, the Free plan doesn’t provide any compliance or data privacy management features. 

The Ketch platform adds on DSAR management with its lower paid plan, which is called the Essentials edition. This plan also includes a data discovery and classification service. This plan and the top edition, which is called Enterprise provide a more sophisticated consent management service with banners and automated processes that adapt to a range of data privacy standards. These include GDPR, CCPA, CPRA, LGPD, and VCDP.

An interesting feature of the Enterprise edition is Ketch for Developers. This provides an orchestration service that enables companies to create their own closed-loop system by implementing data exchanges between third-party software packages. Other extras in the Enterprise plan are data access logging and policy templates.

Pros:

• A Free edition that supplies a basic cookie banner for websites
• Automated DSAR management in higher plans
• Data discovery and classification that maps to stored user consent

Cons:

• This is a new system and reported to be glitchy
• Doesn’t collect data from vendors in its risk assessment process
• No price transparency

Overall Thoughts:

Ketch has an enthusiastic client base that rate the platform highly on G2. Although many users report the annoyance of teething problems and gaps in the user guides, all declare that the Customer Support team is competent and never fails to resolve problems quickly. This expertise makes up form many of the shortfalls of the system.

The Ketch for Developers service is a very interesting option and approaches the type of cybersecurity package that is known as “security orchestration, automation, and response” (SOAR). As with many of these platforms, a demo is available to review the product before making a decision.

9. Vanta

Vanta is a compliance management platform that is delivered from the cloud. The system is compatible with GDPR, CPRA, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC2, ISO 27001, USDP, and NIST AI Risk Management Framework. The system can be set up to manage tasks and deadlines for team members, sending deadline notifications as alerts through Slack.

You have two phases to work through with a Vanta package. The first is to get compliant to your chosen data privacy standard and the second is to stay compliant. Step one involves running assessments, which include third-party risk assessments, employee activity auditing, and data access analysis. 

Vanta prepares the ground for these evaluations through a network scan that documents all endpoints and then a device-by-device check for software packages. The Vanta system focuses on application security weaknesses rather than sensitive data exposure. Its core automated assistance comes from its vulnerability scanner, which checks the patch status of operating systems and software. 

The platform processes both its own automated discoveries and inputs from manual data gathering and questionnaires to produce a risk score. The dashboard organizes a prioritized to-do list to move the risk score and achieve compliance. 

Pros:

• Provides automated vulnerability scans
• Centralizes and assesses project reports
• Produces a prioritized task list and registers progress

Cons:

• Doesn’t protect sensitive data files directly
• Doesn’t provide automated remediation, for example, there is no patch manager
• Doesn’t track data movements

Overall Thoughts:

Vanta relies on getting the system up to code rather than looking for data and protecting it. The tool does not file access events and generates logs for all user activities. However, it doesn’t do anything about those activities other than providing a document that you might not realize you should read. This package is much more effective at getting to the point of compliance than it is at data governance and privacy protection implementation.

Vanta would work well alongside a SIEM tool or an XDR that could take Vanta logs as input for its data privacy framework. This would provide an extra layer of threat hunting and add a mechanism for automated remediation to shut down date theft and tampering attempts. 

What is data privacy management?

Data privacy is an essential obligation of any organization. It’s common sense that you don’t want others to steal your data. Think of your trade secrets and intellectual property for a start. These types of data can be very useful to rival businesses and you could lose your competitive advantage if those data assets were disclosed.

The advent of data privacy standards, such as the EU’s GDPR, has galvanized businesses that hold data about members of the public. This is referred to as “personally identifiable information,” or PII. The fines that a PII data leak could get you mean that not protecting PII as tightly as you protect your product designs could be ruinous. 

Data privacy standards do businesses a favor because they provide a set of goals. They focus efforts on data protection and provide a protocol for the design of data privacy management software. 

A business could try to make up its own data privacy management rules, but that would be tiring, expensive, and time consuming. Cybersecurity experts and legal advisors have worked together for years to create those national, international, and industry data privacy standards; it is more efficient to choose one of those standards and buy a software package that guides you towards implementation. That system should also restrict working practices to ensure that staff keep the business compliant with the relevant standard. 

There are three phases to data privacy management and you need software that will get you through them:

• Discovery – This involves locating data and identifying security weaknesses and sloppy working practices. This is also known as “risk assessment.”
• Goals – This is the standard that you need to meet. This phase is known as “compliance.”
• Rules enforcement – You need to learn the rules of data privacy and apply them systemically. This is referred to as “data governance” or just “governance.”  

The keywords of these three phases give you the essential attributes of data privacy management: governance, risk, and compliance, or GRC.

What are the Benefits of Data Privacy Software?

Data privacy software enables companies to effectively uphold data subject rights, track user consent, cater to data subject access and removal requests, inform users of their rights via a privacy policy, and deal with things like data mapping, data governance, and privacy impact assessments.

Compliance Management
One of the core tasks of any data privacy software has to be to automate regulatory compliance needs. This can include compliance with GDPR, PIPEDA, Law 25, and other requirements based on your jurisdiction. In some cases, the requirements overlap: most laws now require organizations to provide consent management, data subject workflows, record of processing activities, and more. 

Risk Analysis
Privacy management software can give you a 360 degree view of your data — where it's coming from, where it's stored, and which individuals have access to it. This can help identify weak points and plug gaps, preventing breaches and leaks. 

Vendor Management
Many organizations share data with third-parties and subpar privacy standards can cause unexpected problems. Your chosen data privacy software should be able to track vendor risk and ensure that they meed specific privacy laws and standards. 

Efficiency

Automating privacy management activities should result in a decreased focus on manual work. This can result in lower employee budgets, while optimizing operations and boosting cash flow. 

Book a complimentary strategy session for your company. Chat with Mate Prgin, CEO👇

What Experts Say About Data Privacy Management

Enzuzo interviewed a few experts on what they look for in data privacy management software and here's what they had to say.

Jedd Macosko

"The key features of privacy software will help companies find sensitive data across their systems, understand how it flows, and handle requests from customers to access their information. Pre-set compliance options for major laws like GDPR will also be a must-have to make regulatory compliance a breeze," said Jedd Macosko, the CEO of Academic Influence.

"Looking ahead, I expect to see privacy tools that bring everything together under one roof - from consent management to data risk assessments. More region-specific options will help address the patchwork of privacy laws globally. And as our data volumes explode, the software will need to get smarter to handle it all efficiently. The goal is to give companies an affordable one-stop shop for all their privacy needs. That's what I'll be keeping an eye out for in 2024!"

Alan Jones

"For a DRM (Digital Rights Management) software company, must-have features for data privacy management software include robust encryption protocols, ensuring the safeguarding of sensitive information throughout its lifecycle. Access controls, both at the user and role levels, are crucial for defining and enforcing permissions, preventing unauthorized data access," explained Alan Jones, Product Manager at LockLizard.

"Looking ahead to privacy management trends in 2024, artificial intelligence (AI) integration is poised to be a game-changer. AI-driven solutions will revolutionize data discovery, classification, and compliance adherence, streamlining privacy management processes. Privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) will gain prominence, allowing organizations to derive valuable insights from data while respecting individual privacy rights," he added.

Finally, Alan believes adaptability to global privacy regulations is crucial.

"Software solutions must stay agile, integrating with emerging frameworks and regularly updating to meet regional and industry-specific compliance requirements. Continuous education and awareness within organizations are important, fostering a privacy-conscious culture that complements the capabilities of data privacy management software. As privacy remains a dynamic landscape, staying ahead involves a combination of robust features, technological innovation, and a commitment to proactive compliance."

Matthew Ramirez

"Data privacy management software needs to have essential features encompassing data classification, data discovery, data masking, data loss prevention, and data encryption," opined Matthew Ramirez, a serial entrepreneur and former Forbes 30 under 30 winner.

"With data classification, users can organize and label their data based on its sensitivity and significance. Data discovery empowers users to locate and identify their data across multiple platforms and devices. Data masking ensures that unauthorized users cannot easily access or decipher the data by concealing or obscuring it. Data loss prevention features aid users in preventing data from being lost or stolen," he added.

"These features may involve restricting access to specific files or folders, monitoring user activities, and creating backups of crucial data. Lastly, data encryption enables users to secure their data by encrypting it, thus requiring a decryption key for access."

Things to Consider When Choosing Data Privacy Software

We discussed our criteria for ranking companies on this list, but let's take it further. Here are some additional factors we used for our ranking criteria: 

• User Interface (UI) and Dashboards: We evaluated companies with intuitive dashboards and user interfaces based on ease of use. We also considered whether the software includes analytics, multi-user support, and more.
• Robust Customer Support: We analyzed whether the software offered reliable support and training resources to help users get the most out of the platform and address any issues that may arise. This includes training resources for onboarding and live customer service support.
• Customization Options: We took into account whether the software offered custom workflows and integrations. This included adding or removing features, integrating with other systems, and new products on request.
• Costs: Bang for your buck was a major consideration factor.
• Cookie Consent Tools: All the new data privacy laws are taking user consent very seriously, so we took cookie consent management as one of our core ranking factors.
• Multi-language support: Multi-language options support a seamless compliance process across a variety of markets, particularly when companies operate in different regulatory environments. 

Data Privacy Software FAQs

Who uses data privacy management software?

Many businesses and organizations that handle sensitive data use data privacy management software, including financial institutions, healthcare providers, government agencies, and e-commerce businesses. Technical audiences, including data analysts, data architects, and IT professionals, are key users of data privacy management software because they manage data privacy risks and ensure compliance with data protection regulations.

What are some of the top features of data privacy management software?

Technical teams can use data privacy management software to automate data discovery and classification, streamline the inventory and mapping of databases and data processes, and enable data access control, monitoring, and audit trails. This software can also help technical teams ensure data is encrypted, anonymized, or pseudonymized when appropriate. It also ensures access controls are in place to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Data privacy management software can help technical teams manage user consent for data collection and processing, maintain compliant privacy policies, and manage DSAR to access, delete, and correct personal data.

What happens if my company fails to achieve compliance with these regulations?

Fines for data privacy violations can be significant, especially under GDPR and similar data protection laws in other countries. The fines can range from a few hundred euros to millions of euros or dollars, depending on the severity of the violation.

Aside from the monetary fines, your company's reputation may suffer, leading to loss of business because customers may lose trust in your organization. Your company may also face legal action from affected individuals or regulatory authorities, resulting in further financial losses.

It's important to note that data privacy violations can have serious consequences, and organizations should take steps to ensure that they comply with all relevant data protection laws and regulations.