Creating A Culture Of Privacy Awareness
As Privacy Awareness Week closes, it’s important to reflect on what makes a data secure culture in the workplace. Here are five tips to create a culture of awareness in your workplace.
By Leana El-Hourani, head of governance, risk and compliance at IVE
Data is arguably the world’s most valuable commodity and protecting the privacy of that data is crucial to any business’ success.
More and more, we see news about the latest Cybersecurity incident that’s brought a company to its knees. Take just this week for example.
NSW Labour was hacked demanding a ransom within 240 hours. Uniting Care was cyber attacked by notorious ransom gang REvil/Sodin and insurance companies have hiked premiums by up to 30 per cent to counter cyber attacks.
That’s all during this week!
Privacy and data breaches are what keep CEOs and CIOs up at night, and rightly so. Having military grade systems in place is a necessity, and even then, there are no guarantees.
During Privacy Awareness Week, ask yourself the question, does your business have the resilience needed to survive when a cyber attack happens?
If the answer is no, or you’re not sure, here are some tips on how to create a culture of Privacy Awareness to prevent data breaches.
Align with partners that invest in the security of data
Look for certifications such as ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, IRAP and SOC2. Having certifications is a massive investment and demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to the protection of information.
It’s vital if you want to build trust with your customers—especially when they hand over their data to you every day.
Having certifications means the business must undergo regular scrutiny to meet the requirements of those standards, this requires an ongoing review of controls to ensure best practice processes and continuous improvements are in place, and with malicious actors becoming more sophisticated, it’s not an easy feat to achieve or maintain.
Organisations are also responsible for how third-parties use and collect personal information. The third-party should have policies on how they collect, store, use and share personal information.
Cyber incidents such as those that affected ASX-listed aged care operator Regis in August last year, Isentia in November, and more recently the entire UnitingCare Queensland internal IT system attacked by ransomware software, demonstrated that the cost of these incidents is profound with costs in the millions of dollars, damage to reputation and impact on customers.
Working with organisations who invest in certifications goes a long way in mitigating risks.
Educate your staff
With human error still a major cause of data breaches, ensuring that you have a meaningful and relevant awareness training program is essential.
We are all responsible for data security, from the operational floor, to the executive level, it is imperative that all parts of the business understand the obligations of the Privacy Act, and the Policies in place to protect your information.
From January to June 2020, the number of data breach notifications attributed to ransomware attacks increased by more than 150 per cent compared to the previous six months—increasing from 13 to 33.
As a result, simulated phishing attacks with appropriate reporting procedures are an excellent example of a strong security culture within an organisation. Thereby reducing the chances of fraudulent activity.
Ensure there’s a process for capturing when things will occasionally go wrong and learn from them.
Make the business resilient
Having a plan for when things go wrong is critical, as the recent pandemic events have taught us. Ensuring that a Business Continuity Plan is in place and tested regularly shows that a business is prepared for known risks.
COVID-19 meant that a privacy impact assessment was necessary to evaluate the impact of remote working, potential site closures, and reviewing suppliers to ensure that the privacy of information was still being maintained.
Get your teams involved in audits. By ensuring that your staff know what the auditors are looking for, they’ll value the importance of the policies and procedures in place and will be able to make them more effective and relevant to the business.
Do your due diligence and monitor any partners and vendors. If you don’t know what your third-party’s policies are, ask. This may prompt them to become more privacy aware.
Remember if a vendor or partner’s data is compromised, your data could be too!
Use risk language
Have a robust risk management process and ensure every team member knows how to identify and report a risk.
Risk management language such as mitigation, risk treatment plans and risk ratings should be spoken at every meeting. Risks should not just be discussed in the boardroom, but within all levels of the business.
Have a good Data Breach Policy
Ensuring that everyone understands what to do in the event of an incident is imperative, and not having one could have a disastrous effect on the business and impacted individuals.
A good data breach policy will provide step by step instructions and the tools to facilitate communication through the business.
No matter what an organisation does, there’s always the chance that something could go wrong. Focus on the five steps and watch your culture change.
Leana El-Hourani is IVE Group’s head of governance, risk and compliance.
Latest News
Kantar: AVOD Subscribers Double In 12 Months
Study finds Aussies happy to watch ads on their streaming services. Or, are they just putting the kettle on more often?
Val Morgan Digital Exceeds All Campaign Uplift Benchmarks Via A 12-Month Brand Metrics Study
Val Morgan announces it has exceeded all its campaign benchmarks. Still can't get under an hour for the City To Surf.
Australian Retirement Trust launches monster of a campaign, by M&C Saatchi and Bohemia
Get offered a seat on the bus today? Knees creak like an old pirate's galleon? This retirement ad may be of interest.
Print Audits To Discontinue As Audited Media Association Of Australia Pivots To Support Influencer Marketing
Is it just B&T or are audits in the media industry suddenly becoming murkier than Roxy's husband's tax returns?
News Corp Australia Launches 2024 National Education Advocacy Initiative With Expanded Program
News Corp set to shine a light on the nation's schools in new series, giving illegal bikie gangs a well-earned rest.
Decoding The Consumer Maze: Urban List Report Reveals How Modern Shoppers Spiral From Discovery To Purchase
Latest report unravels a shopper's journey from the joy of discovery through to a nasty letter from a debt collector.
Cosmo Returns To Australia!
Ever get the feeling we've weirdly warped back to 1988 at the moment? Confirm it with the relaunch of Cosmo in print.
People & Culture Consultancy Human Kind Collective Launches To Plug HR Gap For Media Agencies
Does the very mention of HR have you struggling to remember last year's Christmas party? Get the sweats with this news.
‘We Want To Be A Growth Partner, Not Just A Media Buyer Or Someone That Makes Ads’ – Bohemia Boss On Agency’s Ambition
B&T's chatting with Bohemia boss Paul ‘Hutch’ Hutchison. Although we do think 'the dagger' a far superior nickname.
Initiative’s Geoff Clarke: ‘Youth Hits Targets With Enthusiasm, Experience Hits The Targets You Can’t See’
Initiative’s CCO Geoff Clarke on the value of experience in agencies. Not to mention quoting lines from Pulp Fiction.
The Iconic Teams Up With 5 Aussie Athletes For Latest Campaign
Fashion label brings in the athletes for new campaign, many of whom appear to have prepped with re-runs of Zoolander.
Seven West Media Secures New Director Of News & Current Affairs
After a tumultuous few weeks, Seven unveils director of news & current affairs. And B&T never uses tumultuous lightly.
Seven Network Expands NSW Sales Team With Two New Group Business Directors
Seven ramps up its NSW sales team. Both of whom are well versed in pronouncing Manu Feildel's croque-monsieur.
New PR Subscription Changing The Game For Aussie Start Ups
Need better PR? You can now buy it via a monthly subscription. Price does not include a fascinator or Moet piccolos.
Paul Kent At Centre Of Fresh Scandal After Alleged Street Brawl
Do you long for the fights, gouges & testicle grabs of footy's glory years? So too, it appears, does Paul Kent.
DiDi Taps Disney’s Tim Farmer For Head Of Brand Marketing Role
Disney's Tim Farmer shifts over to rideshare company DiDi. Taking with him his Donald Duck coffee mug & mouse ears.
As Sure As Night Becomes Day, The End Of Third-Party Cookies Has Been Delayed
The question remains: what will we see first? The end of cookies, alien invasion or Jesus's second coming?
Fast 10: Scoundrel’s Tim Bullock Explains What Shane Warne & Salt-N-Pepa Have In Common
It's a Fast 10 with Scoundrel's Tim Bullock. Make it sound even faster by sucking on helium while reading it.
Outbrain Snatches Chris Oxley From Foxtel Media
Foxtel's Chris Oxley shifts over to Outbrain, but not before having his press photo taken in the wilds of the Daintree.
oOh!media & POLY Partner With Greening Australia For OOH Awareness Campaign
Like to quell the road rage with super cute pics of fluffy marsupials? This outdoor's just the ticket.
Are Media Cares For The Carers In Its Latest Social Change Campaign
Are Media calls on the government to add super payments to carers' payments. Remains silent on AUKUS, however.
In A Fragmented World, Engagement Is King
Today, B&T TV's talking fragmentation & engagement. But not in a down-on-one-knee sense of the word.
Kyle Sandilands On Advertising: “We Want Return Business. It’s No Good Just Taking Someone’s Money”
Kyle & Jackie O finally arrive on Melbourne radio. As yet, no sign of the monotonous and bitter AFL-NRL debate.
Sydney Comedy Festival: Taking The City & Social Media By Storm
Sydney Comedy Festival 2024 is live and ready to rumble, showing the best of international and homegrown talent at a host of venues around town. As usual, it’s hot on the heels of its big sister, the giant that is the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, picking up some acts as they continue on their own […]
Global Marketers Descend For AANA’s RESET For Growth
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced the final epic lineup of local and global marketing powerhouses for RESET for Growth 2024. Lead image: Josh Faulks, chief executive officer, AANA Back in 2000, a woman with no business experience opened her first juice bar in Adelaide. The idea was brilliantly simple: make healthy […]
Is Meta’s New AI Chatbot Too Left-Wing?
Meta's chatbot accused of being left-wing after being caught wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt & listening to Billy Bragg.
TV Ratings (23/04/2024): Why Did No One Tell Angela That Farmer Wants A Wife Is Set On A Farm?
As wonderful as this headline is, let's face it, we all know an 'Angela', don't we?
PubMatic Unveils New AI Partnership To Turn Social Posts Into Ads For Any Digital Channel
Here's some nifty tech for turning social posts into ads. Assuming said posts aren't one-star character assassinations.
Intuit Mailchimp Makes A Splash With Its First Australian Brand Campaign
Ever laugh along at a gag you didn't get so as not to appear dumb? Get ready for more feigning with this new work.
GumGum’s Rob Hall: Advertisers Can No Longer “Rely On Binary Descriptions” Of Consumers
If anyone's got their finger on adtech's pulse, it's Rob Hall. He also avoids using the good paper in the office printer
Mastercard Nabs Florencia Aimo From Marriott International
Marriott International's Florencia Aimo jumps from the hotel business to the exploitative credit card one.
Bastion Agency Appoints Cheuk Chiang As New ANZ CEO
Cheuk Chiang takes the reins over at Bastion Agency. But not the rains down in Africa.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Major Sponsorship Wins After A Disappointing Week In Sport
B&T continuing our deep dive into local sport sponsorships & that's despite not a single offer of a free ticket as yet.
Macca’s Marketing Director, Samantha McLeod On Big Mac Chant: “What Was Once Old Is Now Cool Again”
Macca's using the power of nostalgia in latest Big Mac campaign. Well, only for those who've ever eaten one sober.
World Premiere Of Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line To Open Sydney Film Festival 2024
Oil's biopic to open Sydney Film Festival. Here's hoping Molly Meldrum will take his pants down at the premiere.
Entries Are Now Open For The 2024 Brandies, IntelligenceBank’s Annual Brand Marketing Awards
The Brandies are, of course, a prestigious marketing gong and not the mystery tipple favoured by nannas everywhere.