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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsProtecting data in web localization starts with knowing what content and related information moves through the workflow, who can access it, and where copies are kept. Classify and minimize the data first; then set safeguards for transmission, storage, access, retention, deletion, providers, and international transfers. These are technical and operational practices, not proof of legal compliance.
What data does a localization workflow handle?
A localization job can involve more than the visible text on a website. Content may pass through exports, translation platforms, human or machine processing, reviews, staging systems, publication tools, analytics, support channels, backups, and deletion processes. Each stage can create a new copy or give another person or organization access.
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Map the workflow from source to deletion. For every stage, record the system, organization, people or roles with access, data involved, and whether a copy is created. Include related information such as comments, logs, credentials, and files used to move or preview content. OWASP recommends identifying and classifying sensitive data; applying that principle to these localization stages helps reveal where protection is needed.
Classify data before choosing safeguards
Use categories that reflect the consequences of exposure and the rules that apply to your organization. Public website copy does not need the same treatment as a session token or confidential customer record. Classification gives teams a basis for deciding what can be shared, which controls are proportionate, and when information must be removed.
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- Public content: Material already intended for public release, provided it does not expose unpublished plans or sensitive context.
- Personal information: Names, contact details, user-generated content, review comments, or other information that identifies or relates to a person.
- Credentials and session data: API keys, passwords, session identifiers, and tokens. These should not be included in translation strings or exposed in URLs and query strings.
- High-impact or regulated information: For example, payment or health information, where applicable, and data covered by law, contract, or internal policy.
- Confidential business material: Unreleased product details, internal procedures, and other content whose disclosure could harm the organization.
OWASP ASVS 5.0 says protection requirements should account for needs including encryption, integrity, retention, logging, access controls, and privacy. The right controls depend on the information and the risks; classification is not a substitute for evaluating either.
Minimize what you send and keep
Do not send a provider information that the translation task does not require. Remove secrets and unrelated personal details where practical, or replace them with safe stand-ins. If sensitive information does not need to be stored, avoiding storage is preferable to relying on later deletion.
Minimization applies to derived material as well as the original export. Translation memories, comments, downloaded files, logs, caches, temporary files, and backups can all preserve information after a project appears finished. OWASP recommends limiting access, avoiding sensitive storage where possible, and purging sensitive data and temporary copies once they are no longer needed.
Protect information in transit, storage, and logs
Transmission
Use appropriately configured TLS for service communications involving sensitive features, authenticated sessions, or sensitive-data transfers. OWASP’s Web Service Security Cheat Sheet states: “All communication with and between web services containing sensitive features, an authenticated session, or transfer of sensitive data must be encrypted using well-configured TLS.” Apply this to relevant transfers between your systems and a localization service, as well as communications within the workflow.
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Storage and accidental exposure
Where sensitive information must be retained, assess how it is protected at rest and which systems can read it. Check exports, temporary workspaces, caches, and logs for unintended copies. Do not place API keys, session tokens, or other sensitive information in URLs or query strings: URLs can be recorded or exposed through ordinary system handling.
TLS protects information in transit; it does not establish who can view stored copies, how long they remain, or whether they will be deleted. Treat transmission, storage, access, and deletion as separate controls when reviewing a workflow.
Limit access and define retention and deletion
Give people and systems only the access their work requires. Use named roles rather than broadly shared accounts where possible, and review which roles can export, edit, approve, or publish content. Include access by provider staff and subcontractors in the review rather than considering only your own team.
Set retention periods for each relevant category—such as source files, translation memories, review comments, exports, logs, and backups—based on documented business and legal needs. The sources cited here do not establish universal retention durations, so do not assume that a particular number of days is appropriate for every project.
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Deletion instructions should cover temporary copies and derived content, not just the main account or project. Confirm what deletion means in practice, which copies are included, and whether backups or other retained copies are treated differently. Record the answer and make sure it matches the contract and the provider’s current documentation.
Evaluate a localization provider and its onward transfers
Review each provider individually. A provider’s own disclosures can explain whether it transfers data to other entities or subprocessors, but they do not establish another vendor’s practices. For example, Shopify’s documentation describes onward transfers to other Shopify entities and subprocessors and describes mechanisms for transfers from the EEA and UK. Treat that as an illustration of why current disclosures and terms matter—not as a general rule or evidence about a localization provider you are considering.
Ask the provider to answer these questions in writing, then check the answers against current contract terms and official documentation:
| Review area | Question to ask | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Data and purpose | What categories of content and related information will you process, and for what purposes? | Whether the stated scope matches the data map and the work being commissioned. |
| Processing locations | In which locations is information processed or stored? | The locations that apply to the service and the relevant contractual or official disclosures. |
| Subprocessors | Which subprocessors can access or otherwise process the information? | Current disclosures, the role of each subprocessor, and how changes are communicated. |
| Transfer arrangements | What transfer mechanisms apply to the relevant countries and data flows? | Whether the mechanism and contractual terms address the actual transfer route. Do not infer a legal conclusion from the mechanism’s name alone. |
| Security controls | How are information in transit and retained information protected, and how is access limited? | Documented controls that address the categories of information and the systems in scope. |
| Retention and deletion | How long are project materials and derived copies kept, and what does deletion cover? | Terms for source files, translation memories, exports, logs, temporary copies, and backups. |
| Incidents | What is the provider’s incident process? | Documented responsibilities and the process described in the applicable agreement and service materials. |
Keep technical safeguards separate from legal conclusions
Encryption, access controls, and a named transfer mechanism do not, on their own, establish that a workflow complies with applicable law. Legal requirements depend on the organization, the people and data involved, processing purposes, roles, jurisdictions, and transfer arrangements. Have qualified privacy counsel assess the actual workflow and relevant jurisdictions. OWASP ASVS also advises consulting local laws and qualified privacy specialists as needed.
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Quick Recap
A practical review sequence
- Trace the workflow: Follow content from the source site through export, localization, review, staging, publication, analytics or support, backups, and deletion. Name the systems and organizations involved at each step.
- Classify and reduce: Mark public, personal, credential, high-impact, and confidential information. Remove or replace material the localization task does not require.
- Check safeguards: Verify TLS for sensitive transfers, assess protection at rest where retention is necessary, and look for exposed information in URLs, logs, caches, and temporary files.
- Set access and lifecycle rules: Apply least privilege and named roles. Define retention and deletion for original files and derived copies, including temporary material and backups.
- Review providers and transfers: Confirm processing locations, subprocessors, transfer arrangements, security controls, retention, deletion, and incident procedures against current disclosures and contracts.
- Obtain jurisdiction-specific advice: Ask qualified privacy counsel to assess legal requirements for the people, data, organizations, and locations involved.
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