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Managing data breaches

Data breach incidents and reports pertaining to it have become more common in the recent years.

Numerous companies have suffered data breaches that compromised the personal data of millions of people, according to a recent report by the Ateneo de Manila University.

The trend is quite alarming and has proven that it is inevitable for an organisation to suffer from a data breach.

No one is exempted as organisations like social media platforms, government agencies, health service providers and financial institutions have all fallen prey.

Although some organisations are protected by technology, those same systems remain exposed to breaches caused by human error, which are more difficult to guard against.

There are now laws in place that govern and provide steps for the proper handling of data breaches.

The Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA) of the Philippines, for instance, requires all entities processing personal data to have security measures in place.

These measures include notification protocols vis-à-vis the National Privacy Commission (NPC) and the individuals affected by a breach.

It would be good for an organisation to have a clear plan of action when dealing with this threat.

Some recommended steps to consider when limiting the harm or negative effects of a breach include containing the breach; assessing the risks and impact; notifying appropriate agencies and affected individuals; and evaluating the response.

Containing the breach requires isolating the compromised system, if possible. If the cause of the breach is by known vulnerabilities and bugs of the system, address them as soon as possible.

If the situation was caused by an unauthorised access to an electronic or digital system, it is recommended to change access rights, temporarily remove any external outlets, and reset passwords.

When assessing the risks and impact of the breach, a detailed evaluation of the breach must be conducted.  This will give the organisation a better understanding of the risks and the impacts.

Several questions may serve as guide in assessing the situation. “What type of personal data was compromised?” can determine the level of risk the breach has posed to the affected individuals.

“Who and how many individuals are affected?” will pinpoint the type and number of individuals affected. The more people are involved, the greater the risk is.

“What caused the breach?” will help determine the proper steps to be taken to mitigate its impact. Knowing if it was from a cyberattack, system malfunction, or human error may give information as to how the data may be secured or recovered.

Moreover, it will help identify the measures that could prevent the same event from happening again.

“What possible harm could it cause to the organisation and affected individuals?” will anticipate all possible negative outcomes and will allow a more informed response from the organisation.

Organisations should also notify appropriate agencies and the affected individuals.

Government agencies can help resolve the problem if it requires their technical expertise. Law enforcement can also assist in catching the culprits if they happen to be criminals or fraudsters.

Once informed, the affected individuals can be more alert about any suspicious transactions involving their personal data.

In evaluating their response, the organisation will be able to determine the propriety and effectiveness of their steps.

A data breach can never be predicted. Organisations can only prepare by implementing measures designed to minimise its chances of happening as well as steps it will follow, when it does.

PARTNER

Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private company, Qlik offers real-time data integration and analytics solutions, powered by Qlik Cloud, to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik serves more than 38,000 active customers in over 100 countries.

PARTNER

CTC Global Singapore, a premier end-to-end IT solutions provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC) and ITOCHU Corporation.

Since 1972, CTC has established itself as one of the country’s top IT solutions providers. With 50 years of experience, headed by an experienced management team and staffed by over 200 qualified IT professionals, we support organizations with integrated IT solutions expertise in Autonomous IT, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Workplace Modernization and Professional Services.

Well-known for our strengths in system integration and consultation, CTC Global proves to be the preferred IT outsourcing destination for organizations all over Singapore today.

PARTNER

Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview’s full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions creates an organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empowers teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enables customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,300 employees supporting 4,500 customers and 2.6 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.planview.com.

SUPPORTING ORGANISATION

SIRIM is a premier industrial research and technology organisation in Malaysia, wholly-owned by the Minister​ of Finance Incorporated. With over forty years of experience and expertise, SIRIM is mandated as the machinery for research and technology development, and the national champion of quality. SIRIM has always played a major role in the development of the country’s private sector. By tapping into our expertise and knowledge base, we focus on developing new technologies and improvements in the manufacturing, technology and services sectors. We nurture Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth with solutions for technology penetration and upgrading, making it an ideal technology partner for SMEs.

PARTNER

HashiCorp provides infrastructure automation software for multi-cloud environments, enabling enterprises to unlock a common cloud operating model to provision, secure, connect, and run any application on any infrastructure. HashiCorp tools allow organizations to deliver applications faster by helping enterprises transition from manual processes and ITIL practices to self-service automation and DevOps practices. 

PARTNER

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

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