Icons of cyber security and data protection showing CPRA compliance and DPSM for security posture

Achieving CPRA Compliance Requires a Strong DSPM Strategy

The implementation of the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), which took effect on January 1, 2023, introduced additional requirements to protect consumer data, placing additional pressure on businesses to comply. While on the face of the regulation, the CPRA does not require significantly more investment for businesses already compliant to the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA), it does strengthen the need for better data governance and data security. Specifically, the establishment of the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) and introduction of civil penalties for theft of login information should encourage businesses to establish a strong data security posture management (DSPM) strategy. This is a key first step to help businesses protect and monitor personal information more effectively and allow consumers to control data sharing. This gives organizations the ability to monitor access and activity around personal information and maintain high, comprehensive visibility into their data landscapes.

Consumers’ privacy protections established under the CPRA include the right to keep their personal information private and inaccessible to unauthorized entities; the right to know who is collecting their personal information as well as their children’s information; and the right to access, correct and delete their personal information, among several other protections that extend the consumer’s control over their data. The CPRA has also extended the CPPA to protect the privacy interests of employees and independent contractors. With the shift from physical to digital records, consumer data privacy depends on how the data is stored within an organization’s digital infrastructure, as well as who has permission to access it. As a result, identity and access management (IAM) now plays a key role in ensuring this data is kept away from those who do not have the right to access it.

From a data privacy perspective, DSPM is key to establishing a baseline of security and data privacy. This approach helps achieve several critical goals, including:

  • Identifying where businesses’ sensitive data is located and stored.
  • Removing “dormant data” that is no longer in use, reducing the organization’s risk of exposure.
  • Highlighting location and flow of personal information and particularly sensitive personal information (SPI), improving the security audit process as well as identifying high risk applications.
  • Offering timely, meaningful alerts for data breaches as well as unusual or malicious activity.
  • Facilitating strong audit and compliance capabilities.

DSPM also provides organizations with meaningful insights and guidance, as well as the tools to automate data security posture improvements. Getting these recommendations continuously prompts organizations to enter a cycle of regular improvements, which will ultimately strengthen their data security and ability to comply with the CPRA.

The CPRA was implemented to further protect consumers’ PII, and the act introduces several new requirements that organizations must comply with. The most significant developments include regulating the sharing of PII; designating SPI as a new category of data that requires additional technical and operational control; introducing additional consumer rights; mandating higher controls for data collection, usage and retention; expanding protection to consumer login credentials; and establishing the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA). While these additions to the existing conditions for compliance may not seem extensive, they advance existing regulations further in order to provide better protection for consumers’ data.

Proper DSPM strategies can help organizations comply with these regulations. By establishing adequate visibility into their data, organizations are easily able to track access to the data as well as monitor for unusual activity. Establishing proper DSPM includes understanding where sensitive data is located, who has access to it, how it has been used, and the security posture of the organization’s data store. Once organizations have taken inventory of this information, deploying the DSPM strategy is a more seamless experience. As part of this process, it’s also critical for organizations to consider how they plan to manage continuous improvements, as well as how they will address any findings the DSPM may uncover.

As more regulations and consumer protection acts like CPRA come into effect across the US to give users more control over their data, organizations must adjust their strategies to make sure PII and SPI are adequately protected and securely stored in accordance with both state and federal requirements. Implementing a strong DSPM strategy is a critical step towards making this happen and yields the benefit of achieving a higher visibility into the organization’s data landscape.