Webinar | Auditing the protection of data and certification | Members and Public

Many organisations ask for a “data protection audit” without fully understanding what it entails. The truth is, when it comes to audits, everyone seems to have a different idea of what they’re asking for. Are you looking for verification of your data protection controls? A comparison against legal standards or best practices? Or perhaps an evaluation of compliance gaps? The term “audit” often gets thrown around, leading to confusion, misaligned expectations, and missed opportunities.

This webinar will help clarify those misconceptions by starting from first principles—ensuring we’re all on the same page for a more meaningful conversation. We’ll help you understand the distinctions between an internal audit (conducted by your team) and an external audit (done by a formal third party). We’ll explain what you’re being compared against when undergoing an audit, whether it’s a legal regulation like POPIA or GDPR, a compliance framework, an internal policy, or an industry standard.

Most importantly, we’ll clarify the difference between a gap analysis and an audit. While both are crucial tools for assessing compliance, they serve different purposes. A gap analysis identifies where you fall short in meeting compliance requirements, while an audit focuses on verifying the effectiveness of the controls you’ve put in place. Misunderstanding this distinction can lead to ineffective compliance strategies—and costly mistakes.

Outcome

• Get clarity on what you want to achieve by understanding the common terms used in this area of data protection law.
• Understand how to approach an audit by identifying what you need to compare and how you can do so.
• Gain actionable insights into planning and conducting data protection audits by hearing experiences from the field.

By the end of this session, you’ll be equipped to approach your next audit with confidence—knowing exactly why you’re doing it, what you’re comparing, and how to leverage the results to strengthen your data protection strategy.

Audience

This webinar is both for auditors and people who will be audited. 

Panel

• Michalsons: Kevin Hoole, Zwakele Mbanjwa, John Giles and Emma Quiding

Bookings

Members:

This event is for members of the Michalsons data protection programme. Members can attend this webinar for no charge; it’s included in their subscription. They can register for the event by clicking on the red register button below.

Non-member:

Join the data protection programme now and benefit from all its features or Buy a ticket for R1272 (or 64 EURO) to attend just this webinar.