Welcome to Conversations with Des in livestream format. I’m Des Blanchfield, your host and moderator for today’s expert panel. Today I’m going to be discussing the topic of data protection day with 2 industry experts in this space and let me briefly introduce them to you. I’m joined by data protection and cyber security expert Bill Mew and enterprise data management and data protection expert Nigel Tozer.
Data Protection Day: A Global Celebration
In 2006, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided to launch a Data Protection Day to be celebrated each year on the 28th of January. Data Protection Day is now celebrated globally, in fact, and it’s called Privacy Day in areas outside of Europe.
In fact, within America, a not-for-profit called the National Cybersecurity Alliance, aka NCSA, created a local version for Data Protection Day focused on their domestic audience. This year, the NCSA expanded their annual Data Privacy Day into Data Privacy Week, which now runs from January the 24th to the 28th, to raise more awareness and help people protect themselves online as well as hold businesses accountable when it comes to respecting user personal data.
On the 28th of January 2022, we actually celebrated the 16th edition of Data Protection Day. Today, the right to data protection, The Council of Europe, the initiator of this important celebration, continues to play a leading role by encouraging and showcasing initiatives held on the occasion.
The Challenge of Data Protection in Boardrooms
When it comes to discussing data protection and boardrooms, both Bill and Nigel shed light on the key issues and challenges associated with this topic. Here are some key takeaways from their insights:
- Data protection is a massive challenge, and it requires meaningful protection that includes privacy, security, and enforcement of regulations.
- Businesses need to be fair and equitable with their data and ensure that it’s secured properly to avoid data breaches and fines.
- There’s a need for a vocabulary and language to discuss data protection in the boardroom to inform organizations, staff, and business partners on how they expect them to behave.
- Nigel’s three-part series of articles focuses on the risks of data collection, how companies obtain and use data, and tips for enhancing privacy in the modern world.
The Cultural Challenges and Regulatory Front
Bill and Nigel also discussed the cultural challenges and regulatory front that organizations face when it comes to data protection. Here are some key points they highlighted:
- Organizations need to navigate the differences in data protection laws and regulations across different regions, such as Europe and the US.
- The extraterritorial reach of US laws, such as FISA and the Cloud Act, poses challenges for organizations with operations in the US and abroad.
- There’s a need for a balance between ROI measurements and ROR (return on risk) measurements within organizations to prioritize privacy and security.
The Cyber Threat and Importance of Proactive Measures
The conversation also delved into the looming threat of cybersecurity and the need for proactive measures to address it. Here are some key insights from Bill and Nigel:
- The cyber threat is a major concern on the horizon, and organizations need to shift their cultural focus from being entirely ROI-driven to prioritizing cybersecurity.
- Ransomware attacks and double extraction of data have become increasingly sophisticated, posing a significant risk to organizations.
- Organizations need to focus on educating their staff about risks and data protection, implementing appropriate security technologies, and changing their data collection and management processes to enhance privacy and security.
In conclusion, Data Protection Day serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting personal data and raising awareness about data protection challenges. It’s crucial for organizations to navigate the cultural and regulatory challenges to ensure the privacy and security of data in a global landscape.
Stay tuned for more insights and updates on data protection and cybersecurity from industry experts like Bill Mew and Nigel Tozer. Join the conversation on social media and follow us for valuable information on data protection and cybersecurity best practices.
Remember to share this valuable information with your colleagues and associates to help them start the conversation about data protection and cybersecurity.
By optimizing the blog post for SEO, we ensure that it is easy to read and understand while also helping it rank higher in search engine results.
