How Financial Services Firms Can Leverage HubSpot's Enterprise Security Features While Meeting Compliance Requirements
Rolling out a major CRM update is one of the highest-risk, highest-reward activities in RevOps. Get it right, and you accelerate pipeline velocity. Get it wrong, and you create months of adoption friction and data chaos.
The most successful financial services firms use data to fuel growth. But when that data includes Social Security numbers, health information, investment preferences, or income details, traditional CRM approaches create more risk than reward.
HubSpot has evolved significantly in recent years, introducing enterprise-grade sensitive data capabilities that enable wealth management firms, RIAs, and financial advisors to store confidential client information with confidence—while maintaining compliance with regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and even supporting SEC/FINRA requirements through strategic architecture.
This guide explores everything you need to know about storing sensitive data in HubSpot, from setup to best practices.
What Is Sensitive Data in HubSpot?
HubSpot's Sensitive Data feature allows organizations to store confidential personal information with an additional layer of platform encryption beyond standard security measures. This isn't just a marketing checkbox—it's a fundamentally different approach to data protection.
What Can You Store?
HubSpot supports two tiers of sensitive data:
Sensitive Data:
- Demographic information (ethnicity, gender, age)
- Citizenship and immigration status
- Government-issued identifications
- Salary and income data
- Health/medical information
- Last four digits of bank account numbers
Highly Sensitive Data:
- Social Security numbers (last four digits)
- Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA
- Data requiring click-to-decrypt viewing
How Does the Security Work?
By default, all HubSpot data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES-256). When you enable Sensitive Data, HubSpot adds application-layer encryption with unique encryption keys for each customer.
This means:
- Your sensitive data is isolated from other HubSpot customers
- HubSpot employees cannot access sensitive property values—even for troubleshooting
- Complete audit trails track who accessed what and when
- Super Admins can restrict view/edit access by user and team
Why Does This Matter for Financial Services?
The Compliance Landscape in 2026
Financial advisors operate under some of the strictest regulatory requirements of any industry:
| Regulation | Requirement | HubSpot Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| GDPR | Protect EU citizen personal data with consent tracking and right to erasure | Built-in GDPR tools, consent management |
| CCPA/CPRA | California consumer privacy rights | Data retention policies, deletion workflows |
| HIPAA | Protect patient health information | Sensitive Data + BAA available |
| SEC Regulation S-P | Safeguard customer records | Encryption, access controls, audit logs |
| FINRA Rule 4511 | Retain books and records for 6 years | Requires supplemental architecture |
The Data Breach Reality
According to recent industry surveys:
- 48% of data breaches involve sensitive personal or financial information
- 70% of sensitive data loss happens due to careless users
- 20% of incidents are caused by malicious insiders
For financial services firms, the consequences extend beyond fines. A single breach can destroy decades of trust, trigger regulatory scrutiny, and drive clients to competitors.
How to Enable Sensitive Data in HubSpot
Prerequisites
- Enterprise subscription required: Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, Operations Hub, Content Hub, or Smart CRM Enterprise
- Super Admin permissions: Only Super Admins can enable and configure Sensitive Data
- One-time decision: Once enabled, Sensitive Data cannot be turned off
Step-by-Step Setup
1. Navigate to Settings
- Click the settings icon in HubSpot's top navigation
- Go to Security → Sensitive Data tab
2. Configure Categories
- Click Configure sensitive data settings
- Select checkboxes for the data categories you'll store:
- Personal Sensitive Data
- Financial Data
- Health/Medical Data
- HIPAA compliance (if applicable)
3. Accept Terms
- Review the Sensitive Data Terms
- If storing HIPAA data, accept the Business Associate Agreement (BAA)
- Click Turn on sensitive data settings
4. Create Sensitive Properties
- Navigate to Settings → Properties
- Click Create property
- Enter property details and select field type
- In the Sensitive Data tab, choose:
- Sensitive Data for standard protection
- Highly Sensitive Data for maximum encryption (click-to-decrypt)
- Check PHI if the property contains Protected Health Information
5. Set Access Permissions
- In the Manage access tab, restrict who can view/edit
- Limit sensitive properties to specific users and teams
- Regularly audit Super Admin access (they can always view sensitive data)
Where Does Sensitive Data Work (and Not Work)?
Understanding HubSpot's Sensitive Data limitations is crucial for proper implementation.
✅ Supported Tools
| Tool | Sensitive Data | Highly Sensitive Data |
|---|---|---|
| CRM Properties (manual, import, API) | ✅ | ✅ |
| List Segmentation | ✅ | ❌ |
| Workflows (enrollment triggers, branching) | ✅ | ❌ |
| Forms & Form Submissions | ✅ | ✅ |
| Reporting & Dashboards | ✅ | ❌ |
| CRM Attachments | ✅ | ✅ |
| Data Sync Integrations | ✅ | ✅ (limited) |
| Search | ✅ | ❌ |
❌ Not Supported
- Personalization tokens (cannot use sensitive data in email templates)
- Chatbots and playbooks
- Sandboxes (sensitive data won't sync to sandbox environments)
- Copy property workflow actions
- Breeze AI prompts (do not enter sensitive data into AI tools)
⚠ Important Limitations
- Once a property is created, you cannot change its Sensitive Data setting
- Calculation, rollup, property sync, and HubSpot user properties cannot store Sensitive Data
- Unique value enforcement is not available for Sensitive Data properties
The SEC/FINRA Compliance Challenge
Here's the critical caveat for broker-dealers and RIAs: HubSpot alone does not meet SEC Rule 17a-4 requirements.
Why Not?
SEC Rule 17a-4 requires regulated communications and records to be stored in a WORM (Write Once Read Many) format—immutable, non-erasable storage. HubSpot's standard architecture doesn't provide this capability.
The Solution: Hybrid Architecture
Financial services firms are implementing a two-tier approach:
HubSpot handles:
- Client contact information and relationship management
- Pipeline tracking and deal stages
- Marketing automation and campaigns
- Service tickets and activity tracking
- Meeting notes and non-regulated communications
Compliant Storage (e.g., Box with SEC 17a-4) handles:
- Trade confirmations and account statements
- Client communications requiring regulatory retention
- Advisory agreements and account opening documents
- KYC/AML records
- Compliance documentation
Integration bridges the gap:
- Box Connector (HubSpot App Marketplace) links records
- Automated workflows route documents to compliant storage
- Audit trails maintained across both systems
- Users access compliance records from HubSpot interface
This architecture lets you leverage HubSpot's CRM power while maintaining the immutable recordkeeping that regulators require.
Best Practices for Financial Advisors
1. Implement Data Minimization
The principle is simple: collect only what you need.
Do:
- Store account preferences and communication history
- Track AUM ranges (not exact figures) for segmentation
- Capture consent and communication preferences
Avoid storing in HubSpot:
- Full Social Security numbers
- Complete bank account numbers
- Detailed investment portfolios
- Trade execution details
2. Apply Granular Permissions
Not everyone needs access to everything.
Recommended permission structure:
| Role | Access Level |
|---|---|
| Financial Advisors | Full view of client properties |
| Marketing Team | Segmentation properties only (AUM range, investor type) |
| Support Staff | Contact info and service history |
| Compliance | Audit log access |
3. Train Your Team
Human error causes 70% of sensitive data breaches. Training should cover:
- Recognizing phishing attempts
- Secure file sharing practices
- When to use HubSpot vs. compliant document storage
- Proper handling of client communications
- What NOT to type into AI tools
4. Audit Regularly
Super Admins can view user actions in the audit log:
- Who accessed sensitive property values
- When records were modified
- Export activity for sensitive data
- Failed access attempts
Set up quarterly reviews to identify anomalies and ensure compliance.
5. Configure Notification Privacy
By default, HubSpot hides notification previews when Sensitive Data is enabled. Consider whether to:
- Keep previews hidden (more secure)
- Enable previews for efficiency (toggle in Security settings)
Working with Breeze AI and Sensitive Data
HubSpot's AI tools (Breeze) require special consideration.
What's Protected
- Sensitive Data properties are not used to train HubSpot's AI models
- Values from Sensitive Data fields are excluded from AI-generated insights
What's Not Protected
- Content you type into AI prompts is processed by AI systems
- Conversation summaries may process sensitive information from calls
- Call transcriptions capture all spoken content
The Golden Rule
Never include sensitive information in AI prompts. If you're using Breeze Copilot or AI content generation, treat the prompt field like a public forum.
Industry-Specific Considerations
Wealth Management Firms
- Create custom properties for investor accreditation status, risk tolerance, and investment preferences
- Use workflows to automate compliance check reminders
- Segment by AUM range for targeted communications (without exposing actual figures)
- Integrate with portfolio management systems through secure data sync
RIAs
- Store advisory agreement metadata (not the documents themselves)
- Track Form ADV delivery confirmations
- Maintain audit trails for client disclosures
- Use Sensitive Data properties for fee structures and compensation details
Insurance-Focused Advisors
- Mark health-related information as PHI when applicable
- Enable HIPAA compliance if dealing with health insurance products
- Separate product-specific communications by line of business
Implementation Checklist
Before going live with Sensitive Data, verify:
Technical Setup:
- Enterprise subscription active
- Sensitive Data enabled in Security settings
- Appropriate categories selected
- Terms and BAA (if applicable) accepted
- Sensitive properties created with proper field types
Access Control:
- Field-level permissions configured
- Super Admin access audited
- Team-based access restrictions implemented
- User access review scheduled quarterly
Process & Training:
- Data classification guidelines documented
- Staff trained on proper handling
- Workflow routing to compliant storage (for regulated records)
- Incident response plan updated
Compliance:
- Audit logging confirmed active
- Notification privacy settings configured
- Integration with compliant storage (if SEC/FINRA regulated)
- Legal review of configuration
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I store HIPAA data in HubSpot?
Yes. HubSpot provides a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and the security features necessary to support HIPAA compliance. However, you must enable HIPAA-specific settings and accept the BAA during Sensitive Data configuration.
Will sensitive data be used to train HubSpot's AI?
No. Sensitive Data properties are explicitly excluded from AI model training. However, other non-sensitive customer data in your portal may be used unless you opt out by contacting privacy@hubspot.com.
Can I turn off Sensitive Data once enabled?
No. Once Sensitive Data is turned on and categories are selected, these settings cannot be reversed. Plan carefully before enabling.
What happens if I downgrade from Enterprise?
- You can delete existing Sensitive Data properties but cannot create new ones
- Super Admins can still view/edit values in existing properties
- Non-admin users lose access to Sensitive Data property values
Is HubSpot compliant with SEC Rule 17a-4?
HubSpot's standard platform does not provide WORM-compliant storage required by 17a-4. Broker-dealers and RIAs should implement a hybrid architecture with compliant storage (like Box) for regulated records.
How do I prove compliance during an audit?
HubSpot maintains comprehensive audit logs accessible to Super Admins. Export these logs regularly and combine with your compliant document storage audit trails for complete regulatory documentation.
Transform Compliance into Competitive Advantage
The firms that thrive in 2026 and beyond won't view data security as a burden—they'll leverage it as a differentiator. When prospects ask about your data protection practices, the right answer builds trust before the first meeting.
HubSpot's Sensitive Data capabilities, properly implemented, enable you to:
- Deliver personalized client experiences without compromising privacy
- Demonstrate regulatory compliance with confidence
- Scale your practice without scaling your risk
- Focus on growth while security runs in the background
The investment in proper setup pays dividends in client trust, regulatory peace of mind, and operational efficiency.
Ready to Implement?
Configuring Sensitive Data for financial services requires expertise in both HubSpot's technical capabilities and regulatory requirements. A misconfigured system creates risk; a properly architected solution creates competitive advantage.
Vantage Point specializes in HubSpot implementations for financial services firms. We help wealth management practices, RIAs, and financial advisors configure sensitive data handling that meets compliance requirements while maximizing CRM effectiveness.
Contact us to discuss your sensitive data strategy.
Ready to start your Smart CRM rollout? Use this 30-day plan as your foundation, adjust based on your organization's size and complexity, and remember that successful adoption comes from thoughtful planning and continuous feedback.
About the Author
David Cockrum is the founder of Vantage Point and a former COO in the financial services industry. Having navigated complex CRM transformations from both operational and technology perspectives, David brings unique insights into the decision-making, stakeholder management, and execution challenges that financial services firms face during migration.
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- Email: david@vantagepoint.io
- Phone: (469) 499-3400
- Website: vantagepoint.io
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