Workshop for Private Equity Investors and Deal Teams

Data Value, Data Protection and IT Security in M&A Transactions

A compact, transaction-focused working format. You identify data value, data protection and IT security findings at an early stage and translate them into concrete deal decisions: valuation, due diligence, SPA, closing conditions, post-closing and exit readiness.

Objective and Benefits

When data become a value driver in a deal and when they become a risk

The workshop creates a shared understanding of when data can be treated as a value driver and when data protection, data quality or IT security findings become risks. This is not a general data protection or IT security training, but an M&A-focused working format.

Reliably assess data value

Assess data not only as strategic potential, but as a verifiable value driver.

Derive deal implications

Translate findings into valuation, SPA, closing or post-closing measures.

Identify risks earlier

Address data protection, data room and security topics before signing, in the SPA and after closing.

Improve exit readiness

Take data value, governance and evidentiary readiness into account at an early stage.

Focus due diligence

Structure relevant review questions, evidence and red flags.

Central guiding question

What does a finding mean in concrete terms for valuation, due diligence, SPA, closing conditions, post-closing and exit readiness?

Target Group

Who the workshop is designed for

For private equity investors, deal teams, investment managers, operating partners, M&A leads, portfolio management and the management of portfolio companies. Suitable for buy-side processes, portfolio reviews, exit preparation and sell-side readiness.

Buy-side processes

Assess data value and risks before the acquisition and translate them into valuation.

Portfolio reviews

Review existing data assets and security maturity and prioritise measures.

Exit and sell-side readiness

Make data value, governance and evidentiary readiness robust before the exit.

Modules at a Glance

Six modules, six work products

Data as an asset

  • Data as a value driver or risk factor
  • Economic usability and specific use cases
  • Data quality, timeliness, structure and responsibility
  • Relevance for valuation, scaling and exit

Data protection / legal usability

  • Asset deal vs. share deal and controllership before and after transfer
  • Customer data case groups: prospecting, active customers, former customers, marketing data, bank data, sole asset
  • Employee data and sensitive information in the data room
  • Processors, service providers and transfer-related aspects

IT security / cyber risks

  • Govern: roles, risk strategy and responsibilities
  • Identify: data, systems, assets, service providers and risks
  • Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover: access, logging, backup, incidents and restore

Red flags and deal implications

  • Red flags by severity and relevance to the investment case
  • Valuation impact and sensitivities
  • SPA protection, warranties, covenants and disclosure
  • Closing conditions, evidence requirements and remediation

Data room and disclosure

  • Need-to-know and role-based access
  • Redaction, aggregation and tiered disclosure
  • Pre-signing review: which personal data may be disclosed in the data room?
  • Documentation of access, exceptions and balancing-of-interests assessments

Post-closing / 100-day plan

  • Finalise the Data Asset Map and appoint data owners
  • Separate customer data into active customers, former customers, marketing data and retention data
  • Review the vendor and processor landscape
  • Provide evidence for IAM, logging, backup, incident and restore processes

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Working Formats and Exercises

Exercise Purpose Result
Data asset mapping Identify data assets relevant to value. Data asset map
Data room before signing Review which personal data may be disclosed and at what level of detail. Data room checklist with approval logic
Customer data case groups Classify data as active customer, former customer, marketing contact, bank data or sole asset. Legal usability matrix
Security due diligence based on NIST logic Use govern, identify, protect, detect, respond and recover as a management framework. Security current-vs.-target profile
Security due diligence based on NIST logic Translate findings into valuation, SPA, closing and post-closing measures. Deal implications map
100-day planning Prioritise post-closing measures. Action plan with owner, budget and deadline

Results and Artefacts

What you take away from the workshop

Data DD checklistReview questions on data value, legal usability, quality, security and governance.
Data asset mapOverview of value-relevant data assets and responsibilities.
Legal usability matrixAssessment of planned data use cases, customer data and marketing use.
Security current vs. target profilClassification of security due diligence according to govern, identify, protect, detect, respond and recover.
Red flag matrixPrioritisation of findings by severity and deal relevance.
Deal implications map

Mapping of findings to valuation, SPA, closing or post-closing.

Data room checklistStructure for controlled disclosure in the M&A process.
100 day action planPrioritised immediate measures to secure value and manage risk.

Closing Logic

Translating findings into transaction logic

The workshop ends with a concrete question: Which data, data protection or IT security findings must be addressed before signing, in the SPA, before closing or after closing so that the investment case remains robust?

Deal level

Open due diligence questions, red flags and valuation, contractual and closing-related topics.

Portfolio level

Post-closing roadmap, 100-day measures and governance development.

Exit level

Documentation, evidentiary readiness, data value and security maturity.

Core message: Data create value in M&A transactions only if their economic benefit, legal usability, quality and technical protection are robustly assessed and translated into concrete deal decisions.

The Offer

The workshop at a glance

A transaction-focused working format for your specific deal.

What we review together

  • Data as an economic asset: value drivers, use cases and data quality
  • Data protection and legal usability: asset deal vs. share deal, customer data case groups
  • IT security based on NIST logic: Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover
  • Red flags and deal implications, as well as data room and post-closing

What you take away

  • Data asset map and legal usability m,atrix
  • Security current vs. target profile based on NIST logic
  • Deal Implications Map and prioritised 100-day plan

How the workshop is structured

  • Two blocks of 4 hours each
  • Block 1: awareness, scoping, fact finding
  • Break: 1–2 weeks for in-depth preparation
  • Block 2: solutions, strategy, roadmap

The workshop classifies and prioritises findings. It does not replace full due diligence or a legal assessment of individual cases.

Workshop details

Duration 8 hours, 2 x 4 hours
Location Online, or on site upon request plus travel expenses
Number of participants No limit
Number of ISiCO advisors two
Format

Individually tailored to your company

7.900 €

zzgl. MwSt.

Enquire without obligation

Dr Jan Scharfenberg – Managing Director & Partner

„What does a finding mean in concrete terms for valuation, due diligence, SPA, closing conditions, post-closing measures and exit readiness? This is the guiding question we explore with you in the workshop.“

Client testimonials

What our customers can rely on

„Working with ISiCO on our challenging project to implement an ISMS and achieve ISO certification was extremely positive. Thanks to the proactive, collaborative and solution-oriented support, we were able to complete the project in record time. ISiCO’s extensive professional expertise and experience was a key success factor."

Elisa Fahrenholz

Operations Project Manager (Legal/Compliance)

„ISiCO impresses us in particular with its interdisciplinary approach: legally sound, technically well thought out and always with a business-oriented understanding of our challenges."

Burç Kendir

CFO

Accurately assess data value in the target

Submit a non-binding enquiry for your individual workshop now to identify findings at an early stage and translate them into concrete deal decisions.

Submit a non-binding enquiry