FAQ
FAQ: Privacy Lock Data Mapping Tools
Q What is data mapping, and why is it important?
A Data mapping is the process of identifying and documenting the flow of personal data within your organization. It helps you understand what data you collect, where it’s stored, and how it's used. Effective data mapping is crucial for meeting regulatory requirements like GDPR and CCPA, as it allows you to respond to data subject access requests (DSARs), manage privacy risks, and ensure data transparency.
Q What databases can I connect to Privacy Lock for data mapping?
A Privacy Lock supports a wide range of databases including:
- Snowflake
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- OracleDB
- MongoDB
- Microsoft SQL Server
- And many others. See our Integrations page for a complete list.
This allows you to centralize your data mapping across various systems with ease.
Q Can I create custom data maps?
A Yes, Privacy Lock allows you to create custom data maps. You can build a map from scratch or edit an existing generated map to suit the specific needs of your organization. Custom data maps help you reflect your unique data structures and align them with internal data management processes.
Q How does Privacy Lock help with compliance?
A Privacy Lock’s data mapping tools are designed to ensure you meet regulatory requirements like GDPR and CCPA. By providing a clear view of how personal data flows across your organization, you can:
- Manage data subject requests (DSARs)
- Ensure lawful processing of data
- Maintain a record of processing activities
- Categorize and track sensitive data
- This transparency helps demonstrate your organization’s compliance to regulators and stakeholders.
Q What is a Meta Model in Privacy Lock?
A A Meta Model in Privacy Lock is a data model that defines relationships between different data sets and systems in your organization. Meta Models allow you to visualize how data moves across platforms and ensures that every piece of information is mapped correctly according to its purpose and category. You can create and customize Meta Models to suit your organization’s data architecture.
Q How can I track data processing purposes?
A Privacy Lock enables you to define and manage Purposes of Processing for each data set. For instance, you can track data for purposes like Legal, Marketing, Analytics, or General Data Collection. This ensures that you have a clear record of why each data set is processed, which is critical for privacy compliance under GDPR and CCPA.
Q Can I categorize data assets and data subjects?
A Yes, Privacy Lock allows you to organize your data into Data Groups, Data Assets, Data Categories, and Data Subjects. This helps you maintain a structured view of different types of information, making it easier to manage and report on specific data categories such as financial information, payment data, or marketing insights.
Q What are PII Tracking and linked fields?
A PII Tracking refers to the identification and monitoring of personally identifiable information (PII) within your databases. Privacy Lock helps you track PII across various fields in your database to ensure it is handled according to privacy regulations. Linked fields are those specific database fields that contain sensitive information, such as customer names, addresses, or payment details.
Q How often is my data map updated?
A Data maps in Privacy Lock are updated in real-time when you connect to your databases. If there are structural changes in the database, such as new fields or tables, the system automatically updates the data map to reflect those changes.
Q Can I export my data maps for reporting?
A Yes, Privacy Lock allows you to export data maps in various formats (e.g., CSV, JSON, PDF) for reporting purposes. This is particularly useful when you need to provide evidence of compliance to regulators or when responding to data subject requests.
Q Is Privacy Lock’s data mapping tool scalable?
A Absolutely. Whether you’re managing a small database or an enterprise-level system, Privacy Lock’s data mapping tools are designed to scale with your needs. You can map hundreds of databases and tables, ensuring your organization stays compliant regardless of its size or complexity.
Q How do I create a new data map?
A To create a new data map, simply click the “Create Meta-Model” button on the Data Mapping page. From there, you can choose to generate a map automatically based on your connected databases, or build a custom map from scratch.