Data protection encompasses the collection, usage, storage, and disclosure (CUDS) of personal data. In today’s digital age, personal data is considered the lifeblood of the economy and businesses. People nowadays share information and data freely on a daily basis.
To ensure unauthorised use of personal data by organisations is prevented, data privacy laws were created and implemented worldwide. For instance, there’s Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR), the Philippines’ Data Privacy Act (DPA), and Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) to name a few.
In addition, PDPA courses are also now offered to ensure organisations are up-to-date with the latest data protection trends and updates and stay compliant. Apart from PDPA courses, global standards like the ISO/IEC 27701 have been introduced to guide organisations and help them improve their Privacy Information Management System (PIMS).
ISO/IEC 27701 in a Nutshell
ISO/IEC 27701 is published by the International Organization for Standardization (IDO). It is a global standard that guides organizations in the establishment, implementation, and continued improvement of their Privacy Information Management Systems (PIMS). It is also considered a supplement to the ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002.
The Risks Against Data Privacy
The risks of personal breach through a security incident have been on a steady rise the past years. An analysis released by insurance company, Chubb Limited, revealed that cybersecurity incidents globally have increased by a staggering 540% over 2012.
To address the different risks, organisations need to have a robust data protection management programme that includes information security.
Management of personal data within its lifecycle is an integral step in the efforts of the organisation to ensure the confidentiality, availability, privacy, and integrity of personally identifiable information.
Benefits of ISO/IEC 27701 Certification
When data protection laws such as Europe’s GDPR was introduced, organisations are required to comply with various laws and regulations globally. While security involves governing any access to information that is unauthorised, privacy is all about governing authorised data access.
With both, organisations are required to reconcile the access, confidentiality, and use of personally identifiable information. To help organisations effectively navigate the complex intricacies and regulations of different jurisdictions, the ISO/IEC 27701 has been created.
Some of the key benefits of implementing ISO/IEC 27701 include:
- Building company trust. It can help minimise risks to the privacy rights of the data subjects. It also ensures better management of privacy controls.
- It improves protection from data breaches. Organisations can significantly reduce security incidents and minimise its impact. This can also help ensure any possible harm to the organisation’s reputation is avoided.
- Provides transparency. Implementing ISO/IEC 27701 has been known to help provide transparency to stakeholders, especially the clients and customers. Transparency is considered very important as it can help enhance both consumer confidence and trust.
- It helps provide organisations with a competitive advantage. ISO/IEC 27701 can give organisations a competitive business advantage. It can also help organisations address the various expectations of customers as well as other interested parties.
- It can help facilitate partnerships. Implementing ISO/IEC 27701 can help organisations establish partnerships with other businesses and organisations.
