Countries across the globe have already begun taking steps for the protection of sensitive information and data security. Europe implemented the General Data Protection Regulation GDPR in 2018 and the United States is set to float the State Privacy Laws in 5 states this year.
The latest laws for data protection require organizations to protect sensitive and personal data. However, the success of this law entirely depends on how effective cybersecurity is. Laws of Privacy simply state the need for cybersecurity to protect personal data, but they do not specify the security solutions. Therefore, it is entirely up to the businesses and organizations that they protect their data and information by using advanced cybersecurity measures that will help them fight cyber-attacks.
In order to improve customer privacy and comply with the latest laws, businesses need to emphasize on five areas that have been mentioned below:
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Data Breaches
Data breaches happen when information is malevolently taken by cyber criminals from an organization without the consent of the owners. Such breaches are not hidden and highlighted by the media as they tend to destroy the image of the company – businesses also face financial loss and legal consequences. GDPR and state data privacy laws necessitate businesses to report data breaches within 72 hours.
Data encryption, incident response plans, intrusion detection and access controls are some ways to help avoid data breaches. Risk assessments and periodic vulnerability scanning should regularly be conducted to keep cybersecurity risks in check.
Organizations may be fined up to 4% of their annual global sales under GDPR, if they do not comply with the breach notification requirements.
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Principle of Privacy by Design
Both GDPR and US data privacy laws necessitate the enaction of “privacy by design” which basically means that products, services and processes should have privacy and security in-built into them rather than being fortified later. Privacy by Design principles comprises encryption, implementation of access controls and data minimization techniques to restrict the hazard of unofficial access or disclosure. Advanced technologies for data protection, such as wearable devices and AI, should also be implemented by organizations.
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Data Subject Rights
Privacy laws give people the right to control their data as they wish – to access, make changes, correct or delete. All organizations must have proper cybersecurity measures in place that will ensure that data privacy rights are implemented precisely. Information discovery exercises with the help of various tools will allow the organization to catalog the information and then layer it with access controls so only authorized personnel may have access to the data. Besides data encryption, identity verification should also be put in place before allowing someone to access specific data.
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Third-Party Risk Assessment
GDPR and the United States Data Privacy Laws necessitate that businesses mandate all their third-party providers to comply with privacy and security laws. Some third-party risk assessments that can be performed include the implementation of contractual compulsion to confirm compliance with related privacy and security requirements, meticulous scanning for vulnerability, and compliance audits.
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Regulatory Preparedness
All privacy laws can impose fines on businesses for non-compliance. Hence, organizations should stay compliant with related privacy and security requirements and be ready for investigations or audits authorized by law, if required. All procedures and documentation should be in place so they may be able to respond to the regulatory audits when required.
Conclusion
Privacy is impossible without good cybersecurity. All organizations, businesses and government bodies must follow and implement the latest cybersecurity measures to stay compliant with the GDPR or the state privacy laws.
Know the admission criteria of cyber security courses in Kolkata.
