Confidentiality and data security are covered as part of engaging an outsourced expert, with appropriate agreements in place.
What to establish before granting access
- Confidentiality agreements — signed before any access is given, not after.
- Scope of access — the minimum needed for the role. A creative reviewer doesn't need billing data.
- Named accounts. Never share credentials with a contractor. Individual logins mean actions are attributable and access can be revoked cleanly — see Security and data protection.
- Data handling rules — what may be exported, and to where.
- Offboarding — revoke access the day an engagement ends. This is the step most often forgotten.
Your obligations don't transfer
If you operate a platform processing personal data, you remain the controller. Engaging a contractor doesn't move that responsibility, and you'll need appropriate terms covering their processing on your behalf. Take your own legal advice on what your jurisdiction requires.
Practical measures
- Review access lists periodically rather than only at offboarding.
- Rotate API keys when an engagement ends.
- Keep audit trails of who changed what — which requires named accounts to be meaningful.
Sep 7, 2026