Before you choose a form tool or launch your first form, you need to understand what happens to visitor data after submission. Where it lives. Who can see it. How it is protected. Most people assume their form tool handles all of this automatically. Sometimes it does. Often it does not.
This article covers how form data storage actually works, what security features you should require from a form tool, and what compliance rules apply depending on the information you collect.
What secure form data storage means
Secure form storage has three components: encryption at rest (data is scrambled while stored), encryption in transit (data is scrambled while traveling to your server), and access controls (only authorized people can read the data).
Most forms do well with encryption in transit. Data arrives safely to your server. But then it sits in a database in plain text. Anyone who hacks the database, or anyone with employee access who should not have it, can read everything. That is when secure storage fails.
Encryption at rest vs. encryption in transit
These protect data at different stages. Understanding the difference is crucial to knowing what you actually have.
Encryption in transit
This is the encryption that happens when data travels from the visitor's browser to your server. If your form is on an HTTPS page (look for the lock icon next to your URL), then in-transit encryption is enabled. The data is scrambled during transmission.
In-transit encryption is now standard. Every major form tool, every e-commerce checkout, every legitimate website uses HTTPS. If your form is not on HTTPS, fix that first. It is non-negotiable.
Encryption at rest
This is what happens after the data arrives at your server and is stored in your database. Is the data encrypted in the database? Or is it stored as plain text?
Many form tools offer the option but do not enable it by default. You have to turn it on. Some do not offer it at all, especially free or budget form solutions. If a form tool does not mention encryption at rest in their security documentation, assume they do not do it.
Encryption at rest means that even if someone gains unauthorized access to your database, the data is unreadable without the encryption key. This protects you if your hosting provider is compromised, if a rogue employee accesses the database, or if a third party steals a copy of your data.
How to know if your form data is encrypted
Check your form tool's security documentation. Look for language like "data encrypted at rest" or "end-to-end encryption". If the documentation does not mention it, email support and ask directly: "Are form submissions encrypted in your database?"
Here is what answers tell you:
"Yes, all data is encrypted by default." This is good. Your data is protected.
"Encryption is available as a premium feature." This is a red flag. Encryption should be standard. If you need compliance (HIPAA, GDPR, etc.), you may need to upgrade or switch tools.
"We encrypt data using industry-standard methods like AES-256." This is excellent. AES-256 is the gold standard for encryption.
"We do not encrypt at rest, but we have strict access controls." This is not sufficient. Access controls help, but encryption is better. Even companies with strict access controls can be compromised.
Access controls: who can see your form data
Beyond encryption, control who can access your form submissions. This includes both your team members and the form tool's employees.
Your team access
Not everyone on your team needs to see all form submissions. A customer service rep should see submissions assigned to them. A manager might see reports and summaries but not individual form details. An accounting person should never see a contact form submission.
Good form tools let you assign different permission levels. Use them. The principle of least privilege means each person gets access only to what they need for their job.
Form tool employee access
The form tool's employees can see your data. The question is whether they should. Look for tools that:
Have a clear privacy policy stating whether support staff ever access customer data. Many tools have a policy that they do not look at customer data unless you ask them to help with an issue.
Support access logging (if support does access your data for troubleshooting, it is logged and you are notified).
Are SOC 2 certified, which means a third party has verified their security practices.
Data retention: how long to keep form submissions
You do not need to keep submissions forever. Decide how long you need to keep data, then delete it automatically.
Most businesses keep submissions for one to three years. Contact form submissions might be kept for one year (long enough for potential follow-ups). E-commerce transaction data should be kept for seven years (tax and legal requirements). Survey data might be kept for one year to inform business decisions.
Set up automatic deletion if your form tool supports it. If not, manually review and delete old submissions periodically. This also reduces your security risk (less data means less that can be exposed if you are breached).
Check legal requirements for your industry. If you process healthcare data, you may be required to keep it for specific periods. If you process financial data, regulations might dictate retention. When in doubt, consult a lawyer.
Backing up form data safely
You should back up your form submissions regularly. But backups themselves can be security weak points if not handled properly.
If you back up your data (either automated through your form tool or manually by exporting), ensure the backups are:
Encrypted: Backups should be encrypted the same way as your live data.
Stored securely: If you store backups on your own servers or cloud storage, ensure they are password protected and not accessible to everyone in your organization.
Isolated from the live environment: If your main database is breached, the backup should not be compromised. Store backups on different systems with different access controls.
Tested: Periodically test that you can actually restore from your backups. A backup that cannot be restored is useless.
Compliance requirements for form data storage
Depending on where your visitors are located and what industry you operate in, you may have legal compliance requirements.
GDPR (EU residents)
If you collect data from European Union residents, GDPR applies. Key requirements: you must tell people what data you collect, why, and how you keep it safe. You must store it securely. You must delete it when asked. You must not keep it longer than necessary for the purpose it was collected.
CCPA (California residents)
California residents have privacy rights regarding data collection. You must disclose what data is collected, allow people to delete their data, and not sell it without permission.
HIPAA (Healthcare data)
If you collect health information, HIPAA has strict requirements: data must be encrypted, access must be logged, there must be a data breach notification plan, and more. This is not optional. Violations can result in significant fines.
PCI DSS (Payment data)
If your form collects credit card information, PCI DSS requires specific security measures. Most legitimate form tools do not store raw credit card data. They use tokenization (storing a reference code instead of the actual card number). Ask your form tool whether they are PCI compliant.
What to do if you suspect a data breach
If you discover unauthorized access to your form submissions, act quickly:
Identify the scope: What data was exposed? How many records? What time period?
Secure the breach: Change all passwords immediately. Reset API keys. Revoke access tokens. Address the vulnerability that allowed the breach.
Notify affected people: Depending on regulations, you may be required to notify anyone whose data was exposed. Usually within 30 days for GDPR, immediately for HIPAA.
Document everything: Keep records of what happened, when you discovered it, and what you did about it. Regulators will want to see this.
How WEMASY secures form submissions
WEMASY sends form submissions over HTTPS and stores them with access tied to your account. If you need to delete submissions (for GDPR right to deletion), you can remove them from your account.
For compliance requirements, review your plan features or contact support. Learn more about data security and privacy in your WEMASY account or visit the pricing page to see what security features are included in each plan.