What evidence do auditors commonly ask for on DSP-04 Data Classification?

Data classification scheme with type, criticality and sensitivity dimensions; Classification matrix mapping levels to handling rules; Sample of data sets with assigned labels; Labelling tool configuration or metadata tags; Training on applying the classification.

What is the most common gap auditors find on DSP-04?

Scheme covers sensitivity only, not criticality

CSA CCM v4.1 · DSP - Data Security and Privacy Lifecycle Management

`DSP-04` Data Classification

Data is classified by its type, how critical it is and how sensitive it is.

Source: CSA CCM v4.1, DSP-04. The statement above is our statement of the clause, read from the published text and cited so you can check it against the official text, not the instrument verbatim. Open CSA CCM v4.1 in the compliance library.

Version 4.1 adds 11 controls (among them API security, log sanitisation and a service bill of materials) and renumbers several domains. CSA accepts v4.0.x during its transition; if your STAR assessment is still on v4.0.1, check the numbering against it.

artefacts

held by a system

at each review

hard

to go live

Policy repository / GRC workspace

where the evidence lives

teal = a system already holds it · olive = produced at each review. To go live: easy when half or more of the artefacts are already held by a system, moderate from a quarter to a half, hard below a quarter.

These are the artefacts auditors commonly ask for on this requirement, our guidance rather than text from the standard. Your assessor decides what is sufficient in your context, and asks for samples across the period when a report covers one.

system holds itEvidence a system already holds

Labelling tool configuration or metadata tags · Cloud console / configuration management

periodic reviewEvidence produced at each review

Sample of data sets with assigned labels · Data governance / DLP tooling

governing documentDocuments that govern the control

Data classification scheme with type, criticality and sensitivity dimensions · Policy repository / GRC workspace
Classification matrix mapping levels to handling rules · Policy repository / GRC workspace
Training on applying the classification · HR system / LMS

First move

Mostly documents and reviews. Pull the 1 system-held artefact from your Cloud console / configuration management on a schedule; put the documents under version control with an owner and review date, and log each review as a dated record with a named reviewer.

Common gaps auditors find

Scheme covers sensitivity only, not criticality
Labels applied to documents but not to databases or cloud storage
Default classification left as unclassified

Do this for your whole sheet

Paste the rows you run your controls from and get this mapping for every control at once, with the periodic-review ones flagged and a first move per row. No account for the first run.

Build my evidence sheet

DSP-03 Data Inventory · DSP-05 Data Flow Documentation