Record of processing activities

Learn how to edit the record of processing.

Introduction

The record of processing activities allows you to map your data processing and to have an overview of what you do with the personal data concerned. Having a completed register is a requirement of Article 30 of the GDPR, but beyond the binding aspect, it is above all a tool to better understand your data and control the associated value chain - from their production to the use that is made of them.

At Dastra, we believe that our role is to make it easier for you to map your processing activities, so that you can focus on your business. To do this, we support you with an intelligent registry and questionnaires that guide you step-by-step through the creation of your registry.

The Dastra record in a few words

Dastra's record of processing activities log functionality meets all regulatory requirements. The records, both Processor and Subcontractor, are based on repositories (actors, assets, datasets, data, risks and security measures) allowing you to map your processing activities and save time in the daily management.

processing activities can be duplicated and processing activities models are available in a library freely accessible to all our users. A workflow is integrated, a search function is natively present and it's possible to import / export treatment sheets in different formats (pdf, word, html, excel, csv, json). It's possible to attach attachments, violations or risks to these treatments.

Record "Data controller" versus "Subcontractor"

Article 30 of the GDPR sets out specific obligations for the controller's record and the processor's record. If your organization acts as both a processor and a controller, your record must therefore clearly distinguish the two categories of activities.

In practice, in this case, the French CNIL recommends that you keep 2 records:

1. one for the processing of personal data for which you yourself are responsible,

2. another for the processing operations that you carry out, as a subcontractor, on behalf of your clients.

"Data controller" record"Data processor" record

The different methodologies for setting up the record of processing activities

There are two methodologies for creating a processing record:

• Top-Down design: we start the project by establishing the inventory of data processing, and then we collect the information specific to each processing (data, subcontractors...etc...).

• Bottom-Up design: we start by making an inventory of the data (software, data sets and personal data fields) and we create the processing activities from it.

Which record methodology to choose?

There is no right or wrong method, everything will depend on the context of your organization, the skills of the DPO team, the accessibility of the operational data...

Here is a table comparing the two approaches:

/tableau

Methodology	Target	Benefits	Disadvantages
Top-Down (descending)	Small organizations or communities Company with a weak data culture Legal team with little affinity for IT	Quick to set up Less work Corresponds well to the legal expectations of the GDPR	May cause difficulties if the registry implementation team is not familiar with the organization's data More burdensome for operational staff The data inventory will be much less valuable because it is modeled for legal purposes only More complex to maintain over the long term
Bottom-Up (ascending)	Large or medium-sized organizations With a strong data culture Legal team with a strong IT affinity	Taking an inventory of data will be less abstract than creating processes directly. The record reflects the reality of the organization Maintaining the record will be easier in the long run More members of the organization are involved Creation of processing records is more automated	Overall more difficult and time consuming to implement Project requires good governance

The good news is that Dastra handles both approaches perfectly! You can either create a form automatically by taking a processing template. If you prefer the automatic approach, it's possible to create your own data map and create a treatment directly from an asset (software, database).

How to set up your processing activity record?

If you want to learn how to design and manage your data processing record, start here:

Establish your record

If you want to learn how to design and manage your record of data processing, start here:

Declare a processing activity

If you want to understand the different stages of the questionnaire, click here:

Complete a data processing activity

If you want to learn how to share the record of processing, click here:

Share the record of processing

For more information

Record of processing activities (ROPA)Attach a risk to a processing activityPlanning