Building an Audit Engine to Detect, Record, and Validate Internal Employees' Need for Accessing Customer Data

When using Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products, customers are asked to store and entrust a large volume of personal data to SaaS companies. Unfortunately, consumers are living in a world of numerous data breaches and significant public privacy violations. As a result, customers are rightfully skeptical of the privacy policies that businesses provide and are looking for service providers who can distinguish their commitment to customer data privacy. This paper examines the viability of building an accurate audit engine to detect, record, and validate internal employees' reasons for accessing a particular customer's data. In doing so, businesses can gain clear visibility into their current processes and access patterns to meet the rising privacy demand of their customers.