Data is the new gold!

As such data privacy has been a growing requirement ever since the internet became a thing.

You your personal information is flying around computer networks all over the place.

Most companies must now follow GDPR, HIPAA, or another industry privacy policy based on their location.

By the end of 2024, 75% of the world’s population will have their personal data under lock and key.

Falling under one or more privacy regulations.

Data Privacy is not just for the Big Boys

Just because you are a small company you might think that data privacy is not a big deal for you. It only matters for big companies or governments that have a lot of data and customers.

Your wrong.

Data privacy is important for every size of business, no matter how small you are.

Data privacy is about protecting your customers personal information.

After all your customers trust you and they want to know that you are watching out for them not only in the business transactions you have with them.

But also, with the data you hold on them.

If a customer feels, you are not a company that cares about them they will be off with their money like shot to your competitor.

You need to make Data Privacy a priority.

Hear is the good news data privacy, goes hand in hand with cybersecurity. Also, privacy requirements effect all sized companies.

The number of GDPR violations rose by rose by a massive 113.5% from July 2020 to July 2021.

Fines associated also jumped a whooping 124.92%. If you fall under HIPAA regulations (USA), each incident can carry a fine of anywhere between $100 to $25,000.

You need to make data privacy a priority when sending, receiving, and storing data.

You need to make sure there are sufficient safeguards in place.

Having your head under the sand is not going to cut it.

The guys at GDPR want to know you have these safeguards in place on the day the come knocking.

We have your back:

If you are a small business with 20 to 50 employees in Bolton or Manchester here at Great IT Services, we will work with you to make sure you have the safeguards in place.

What is happening in Data Privacy Compliance?

AI governance

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you will have heard of the AI buzz.

AI, which is Artificial Intelligence, based on what my Bing AI told me “A branch of computer science found on building machines or software that think like humans and mimic their actions” scary or what.

AI governance is making sure AI is ethical safe and accountable.

We want AI to behave itself long before it decides we humans are no longer necessary (remember the movie).

Currently, more than 40% of privacy technology relies on artificial intelligence.

Use Microsoft Word as you type text and you notice it is trying to complete the sentence for you.

This applies when you are working on a photograph in photoshop.

You have someone’s picture, you can have different effects on the photo, make them smile, sad or happy with a click of a button.

All this is the work of AI.

AI is running the show:

So, you won’t be surprised to hear that algorithms responsible for keeping data protected are run by AI.

Now you may be asking what happens when AI goes wrong?

AI is not anywhere near perfect, even AI websites make that clear.

So, AI governance is working to address this.

As you can imagine this is a new trend in data privacy.

AI is no longer a buzz word; it is a reality that business is using in the data journey from: customer services chatbots to predictive analytics.

Where AI is used in data protection, organisations need to govern it properly.

It helps to ensure that automated pops can’t accidentally expose sensitive data.

Consumer Privacy UX

Over the last few months, we have seen a definite trend of putting more privacy power into consumers hands. Many laws on data protection such as GDPR are making it a requirement that websites give more data transparency.

They need to tell people what data they’re collecting, how they’re collecting it, and what they do with it. People also need a way to opt out and get their data back.

As a result, a new platform empowering consumer to take full control of their data.

A centralized privacy portal known as Consumer Privacy UX.

Allowing consumers to access their personal data, which is stored across all the companies they use.

They will be easily able to check their data and know who it has been shared with

Increased Scrutiny of Remote Employee Monitoring

The pandemic has changed the workforce, it seems forever.

Some companies are running their operations completely from home.

Others are working both from home and in the office.

While at home employees are now using their own computers for work.

This also means that companies are increasingly monitoring their employees.

 Which opens a can of worms as far as data security is concerned.

It goes without saying that organisations need to make sure they are not encroaching on the rights of their staff.

A study by security magazine shows that approximately  49% of employees use their personal computers for work. Companies put end point devices in place for security. But they need to make sure they are not gathering and backing up employee personal data. So employee data should not be ending up in the hands of the employer.

Data Localization

In the age of the cloud, data is held in different geographical locations.

For instance, when the Chinese social app Tick Tok started, personal information of users all over the world was being held in Chinese servers.

The data privacy laws in China are different to the laws in the UK and other countries around the world.

The demand for data localization is becoming more common.

Since the server where the data is stored is determined by the privacy laws of the country where it is located.

More and more companies and organisations are asking cloud providers, “where are you storing my data”? Most prefer their data to be stored in their local country, where they understand the laws and regulations governing their data.

Privacy-Enhancing Computation (PEC)

Privacy-Enhancing Computation (PEC) is a way to keep data secure. It's an important part of how AI is helping cybersecurity, and it can also be used by developers to create apps and software that help protect client data.

The goal of PEC is to obscure personal information from hackers so that they cannot easily access it even if they do have access to your network or computer system. This means that even if someone does manage to get inside your system somehow and steal your data, there will be no way for them to use it unless they know how your company protects its information.

Businesses who are looking for tools that will help them process their data should look for ones with PEC components built in.

When you’re shopping for business tools. Ensure PEC is a component in software and apps for clients provides value because it helps businesses keep their data safe from hackers and other malicious actors

Have You Had a Compliance Check?

How are your data privacy protections? Are you risking a penalty due to lax controls? If you are in Bolton and Manchester, Give us a call! We can help with a compliance checkup.

Great IT Services Bolton and Manchester Tel 07810025154