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Privacy is broadening to focus on trust

Kirsten Doyle
By Kirsten Doyle, ITWeb contributor.
Johannesburg, 17 Jun 2021

Privacy programs and best practices are serving as a base for broader governance programs, driven by factors such as emerging privacy regulations, advancements in digitalisation and cloud, and the increasing use of data as a valuable resource that is governed for compliance.

So says Amelia Williams, privacy analyst at OneTrust.

In terms of privacy, the top threats to organisations remain data breaches and information security incidents. In light of this, Williams says a weak privacy program, coupled with poorly trained employees, will lead to the inability to respond to such incidents in the timeframe and in the manner that is required by global data protection and security laws.

Businesses should take immediate steps to build privacy, security and compliance into the roots of the organisation.

Amelia Williams, OneTrust.

“While the threat of monetary penalties is sustained and tangible, the intangible impact of reputational damage in the case of public disclosure of a breach, and in a market where trust is pivotal, is all the more concerning.”

Offering companies one piece of advice, Williams says the whirlwind of events that took place in 2020 will drastically change the way we live and work throughout the remainder of our lifetimes. 

“The pandemic, the invalidation of the EU-US Privacy Shield, and the continued development of global privacy regulations are just a few events to name.“

The importance of data protection, as well as other regulatory compliance topics, will only continue to grow in 2021, she adds.

“To prepare for and mitigate the changes, businesses should take immediate steps to build privacy, security and compliance into the roots of the organisation.“

Williams recently spoke at the ITWeb Security Summit 2021, where she discussed how a privacy program can be successfully managed in order to comply with POPIA.

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