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Data Export - Export Risk and Compliance Data

Export risk, control, action, and compliance data to CSV, Excel, JSON, and PDF formats for reporting, analysis, and backup

Flow's Data Export feature enables organizations to export risk, control, action, and compliance data in multiple formats for reporting, analysis, backup, and integration with other systems.

Overview

Data Export provides:

  • Multiple Formats - Export to CSV, Excel, JSON, and PDF
  • Selective Export - Choose which data types to export
  • Bulk Export - Export all data or filtered subsets
  • Compliance Export - Export compliance data and evidence
  • Audit Trail Export - Export audit logs for compliance
  • Formatted Reports - Generate formatted PDF reports

Export Formats

CSV Export (General Data)

The CSV Export dialog (accessible from sidebar) exports general risk, control, action, and vendor data:

Supported Data Types:

  • Risks
  • Controls
  • Actions
  • Risk-Control relationships
  • Vendors
  • Vendor-Risk relationships
  • Audit Logs
  • Compliance Items
  • Evidence Items

Features:

  • Comma-separated values format
  • One file per data type
  • Includes all fields
  • Easy to import into spreadsheets

Excel, JSON, and PDF Export (Compliance Data)

The Export Dialog (for compliance data) supports multiple formats:

Excel Export

  • Formatted reports with multiple worksheets
  • Professional formatting
  • Best for compliance reporting

JSON Export

  • Structured data format
  • Machine-readable
  • Best for system integration

PDF Export

  • Professional formatted reports
  • Print-ready
  • Best for audit submissions

Note: Excel, JSON, and PDF formats are available for compliance, evidence, and assessment exports. General risk data export uses CSV format.

Exportable Data Types

Risk Data

Export risk information:

  • Risk Details - Title, description, category
  • Risk Assessment - Likelihood, impact, scores, levels
  • Risk Ownership - Owner information
  • Risk Status - Current status
  • Treatment Information - Treatment type and rationale
  • Review Information - Review dates and history
  • Related Data - Linked controls and actions

Control Data

Export control information:

  • Control Details - Title, description, type
  • Control Effectiveness - Effectiveness ratings
  • Control Ownership - Owner information
  • Framework Mapping - Compliance framework links
  • Related Risks - Linked risks
  • Related Actions - Linked actions

Action Data

Export action information:

  • Action Details - Title, description
  • Action Assignment - Assignee information
  • Action Status - Current status
  • Due Dates - Due dates and completion dates
  • Related Risks - Linked risks
  • Related Controls - Linked controls

Compliance Data

Export compliance information:

  • Compliance Items - Compliance register items
  • Framework Information - Framework details
  • Implementation Status - Status and maturity levels
  • Evidence Items - Evidence repository items
  • Assessment Data - Assessment results
  • Gap Analysis - Compliance gaps

Vendor Data

Export vendor information:

  • Vendor Details - Vendor name, contact information
  • Vendor Risks - Associated risks
  • Vendor Controls - Related controls
  • Assessment Data - Vendor assessment results

Audit Log Data

Export audit trail information:

  • All Activities - Complete audit log
  • Filtered Activities - Filtered by date, user, action
  • Change History - Before/after values
  • User Activities - Activities by user

Export Process

Step 1: Access Export

  1. Navigate to Data Management → Export Data (CSV)
  2. Or access from sidebar secondary navigation
  3. Export dialog opens

Step 2: Select Data Types

Choose which data types to export:

  • Risks - Include risk data
  • Controls - Include control data
  • Actions - Include action data
  • Risk-Controls - Include risk-control relationships
  • Vendors - Include vendor data
  • Vendor Risks - Include vendor-risk relationships
  • Audit Logs - Include audit log data
  • Compliance - Include compliance data
  • Evidence - Include evidence items

Step 3: Configure Export

Configure export options:

  • Format Selection - Choose CSV, Excel, JSON, or PDF
  • Date Range - Filter by date range (if applicable)
  • Filters - Apply additional filters
  • Include Relationships - Include related data

Step 4: Export

  1. Review selected data types
  2. Check data counts
  3. Click Export button
  4. Download will begin automatically

CSV Export Details

CSV Export Features

Multiple Files:

  • Each data type exported as separate CSV file
  • Files named by data type (risks.csv, controls.csv, etc.)
  • Easy to identify and use

Field Inclusion:

  • All standard fields included
  • Related data included where applicable
  • Consistent field names

Data Formatting:

  • Dates in ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD)
  • Numbers as numeric values
  • Text fields as strings
  • Boolean values as true/false

CSV Export Example

risks.csv:
Title,Description,Category,Likelihood,Impact,Score,Level,Status,Owner
"Data Breach","Risk of unauthorized data access",Technology,4,5,20,High,Open,"John Doe"
"System Downtime","Risk of service interruption",Operational,3,4,12,Medium,Open,"Jane Smith"

Excel Export Details

Excel Export Features

Multiple Worksheets:

  • Each data type in separate worksheet
  • Named worksheets (Risks, Controls, Actions, etc.)
  • Easy navigation

Formatting:

  • Headers with bold styling
  • Column width auto-adjustment
  • Data type formatting (dates, numbers)
  • Color coding for status fields

Charts and Visualizations:

  • Risk distribution charts
  • Status breakdown charts
  • Trend visualizations
  • Summary statistics

JSON Export Details

JSON Export Features

Structured Data:

  • Hierarchical data structure
  • Preserves relationships
  • Complete data model
  • Machine-readable format

Data Relationships:

  • Risks with linked controls
  • Actions with linked risks
  • Compliance items with evidence
  • Complete relationship mapping

PDF Export Details

PDF Export Features

Formatted Reports:

  • Professional formatting
  • Company branding (if configured)
  • Charts and visualizations
  • Multi-page layout

Report Types:

  • Executive summary
  • Detailed reports
  • Compliance reports
  • Audit reports

Best Practices

Export Planning

Before Exporting:

  • Determine export purpose
  • Select appropriate format
  • Choose relevant data types
  • Consider file size limits
  • Plan for data use

Export Frequency:

  • Regular backups (weekly/monthly)
  • Before major changes
  • For compliance reporting
  • For analysis purposes
  • For system migration

Data Security

Sensitive Data:

  • Be aware of sensitive data in exports
  • Secure exported files
  • Limit access to exports
  • Delete exports when no longer needed
  • Follow data retention policies

Export Controls:

  • Restrict export permissions
  • Monitor export activities
  • Log export actions
  • Review export logs regularly

Use Cases

Compliance Reporting

Export data for:

  • Audit submissions
  • Regulatory reporting
  • Framework compliance
  • Evidence documentation

Data Analysis

Export for analysis:

  • Risk trend analysis
  • Control effectiveness analysis
  • Treatment success analysis
  • Performance metrics

System Integration

Export for integration:

  • Import into other systems
  • API data transfer
  • Data synchronization
  • System migration

Backup and Archival

Export for backup:

  • Regular data backups
  • Long-term archival
  • Disaster recovery
  • Historical records

Getting Started

  1. Access Export - Navigate to Export Data option
  2. Select Data Types - Choose what to export
  3. Choose Format - Select CSV, Excel, JSON, or PDF
  4. Configure Options - Set filters and options
  5. Export - Click export and download
  6. Use Data - Use exported data as needed

Data Export provides flexible options for getting your risk and compliance data out of Flow for reporting, analysis, backup, and integration purposes.

Next Steps

Introduction

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