Using Strategic IT Support to Secure Legal Compliance

23 Jul Using Strategic IT Support to Secure Legal Compliance

Laws designed to protect the security of personal information are creating increasing challenges for companies of all sizes. The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), for instance, sets numerous requirements companies must meet to protect private data, and many provinces have established their own requirements. When companies do business in other provinces or countries, they need to be cognizant of applicable requirements in the region. Companies must be prepared to comply or face serious penalties.

The right IT support is critical for ensuring compliance, particularly with respect to areas such as data encryption, incident response, cloud service, and access control.

Data Masking and Encryption

To protect the integrity and privacy of data, techniques to encrypt and mask information are generally the first line of defense. Laws that mandate steps to secure personal data can often be satisfied through encryption techniques such as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) or Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA).

Data masking techniques offer additional protection to ensure compliance with protection requirements. These techniques replace sensitive data with values that are altered or fictional.

Notification of Security Breaches and Responses to Incidents

Problems with the security of private data come to the public attention when it’s too late—after a breach in security. It is not only important to attempt to prevent problems but also to install measures to recognize and address problems quickly to minimize the damage. To comply with legal requirements, companies must have the right systems to monitor and detect breaches and respond efficiently. IT support and cybersecurity can be critical for monitoring potential threats proactively and detecting breaches early. IT and cybersecurity professionals use a variety of systems such as intrusion detection systems and security information and event management systems for continual monitoring to meet the stringent breach notification requirements of PIPEDA and other laws.

Cloud Services and Storage

Companies are continually expanding their reliance on cloud services and storage options, so requirements in PIPEDA and similar security laws set standards for these as well. Among other things, companies need to negotiate service terms that comply with data sovereignty requirements and that include end-to-end encryption for information stored in the cloud. It is necessary to conduct regular audits of cloud services to ensure compliance and to detect and address any vulnerabilities. Because of the attention focused on these issues, failure to comply with data protection requirements for cloud services can lead to damage beyond standard fines. Companies risk damage to their reputation and loss of confidence that can be hard to overcome.

Controlling Access

Another critical component of data security involves implementing access control systems to limit access to data to those with a legitimate need and appropriate authorization. To comply with protection requirements of PIPEDA and other laws, IT professionals rely on systems based on a user’s role in an organization, systems that rely on predefined labels and security classifications to grant access, and systems that account for attributes such as device, time, and user location.

Guidance with Understanding and Compliance

The first step to effective compliance with data security requirements is a thorough understanding of the particular requirements applicable to a company’s operations. This can include requirements set by another jurisdiction.

At R&D LLP, we help companies in all fields of business understand how to efficiently comply with applicable regulations including data protection laws. To discuss any compliance concerns or questions, just contact our team. 

This article is submitted in conjunction with Miguel Ribeiro, Founder and President of VBS IT Services. It is not intended to provide legal advice and is for general informational purposes only.