Privacy laws will come into play soon
Many companies in Sri Lanka are unaware of the knowledge of Cyber Security Protection and that is why it is important to acquire knowledge on data protection and privacy application, according to Manish Sehgal, an industry leader of the Deloitte of India and in the Asian subcontinent, delivering a lecture on Cyber Security at the Galadari Hotel in Colombo recently.
The event was sponsored by Deloitte Risk Advisory team at a round table conference on “General Data Protection Regulation” known as GDPR, borderless sector with neutral legislation that applies to any organisation (located even outside the EU) that collects, processes, transfers, stores or destroys EU customer’s data.
With a compliance deadline of May 2018 fast approaching. Topics such as “GDPR Overview”, “Approach to Compliance”, and “Privacy by Design” was discussed.
Mr. Sehgal said that the word privacy is being interpreted in different ways by many persons and therefore it was important to know what privacy is all about.
Illustrating a point, he said that privacy was like that of a tag being put on the door outside of the hotel room cautioning others that they should not enter his world without his permission or not to disturb the occupier. He said the same principle applies to corporate bodies when it comes to private data. Referring to SMS messages, he said many who receive SMS do not have any inkling from where they get it from or who sends it to them especially by marketing promotional campaigns. “From where did they obtain mobile numbers to send such messages have now become a puzzle to its recipients.” Alas the consumer community is now paying much more attention to it as it revolves privacy.” He said when someone sends his individual data to a corporate body does that mean that it belongs to corporate or to the sender. In fact when an individual provides data to a corporation, he assumes the corporate to be the sole custodian of such data and the data will not be misused at any cost. It also empowers an individual to be the rightful owner of such data.” However the consumer community is now losing faith in corporate bodies. “When somebody engaged in a marketing campaign asks for my mobile number I am a bit apprehensive because I do not know for what purpose my mobile number will be used or to whom it will be sold for an illegal purpose.” He said privacy promotes an individual to own his own data. “If my private data is used for a commercial purpose without my consent, it is a breach. But as long as long as the intention to use data is correct everything will be alright.”