INDUSTRY WATCH
E
nterprises around the world
are preparing to comply with
GDPR, one of the toughest
data privacy regulations in the world,
when it takes effect on May 25 2018.
Businesses in the Middle East need
to be aware that GDPR applies to
companies worldwide, no matter
where they are based, if they handle
data concerning European citizens.
The definition of data is broad and
applies to any that can be used to
identify individuals – meaning hardly
any personal data won’t be covered
by GDPR. Those organisations
collecting data or employing third
parties to do this on their behalf
will need to make sure they can
demonstrate compliance regarding
how it will be used and if they use it
for an unsuitable purpose they will be
made to stop.
GDPR also requires public authorities
that are processing personal data to
appoint a data protection officer to
monitor how it is being used and many
businesses will need to do this too.
The regulations will require
compulsory PIAs (Privacy Impact
Assessments) to take place where
there is a high risk of a data breach
and there is also a requirement to
report data breaches to the local
data protection authority within 72
hours of it being found.
All software and systems will
need to deal with stringent audit
requirements which mean that
they will need to have the ability to
amend and permanently delete data
if requested by the data subject.
Finally, data cannot be used for any
other purpose other than the one for
which explicit (not implied) consent
was obtained.
Some technology companies, such as
Commvault, are helping businesses
comply with GDPR regulations. For
instance, it has announced a new
analytics portfolio of applications,
capabilities, solutions and services.
This new portfolio includes
applications and an application
framework, new capabilities, solutions,
and packaged service offerings
created to help customers obtain
better data insights for compliance.
Commvault’s analytics portfolio will
empower its customers to simplify
management of growing amounts of
data, and activate this data to reduce
risk and improve business outcomes.
The first application in the portfolio is
for information governance and data
privacy, and was demonstrated at
Commvault GO 2017.
Fully integrated into the Commvault
Data Platform, the new application
offers customers the ability to identify,
manage and reduce data privacy risks
in compliance with GDPR.
Commvault’s new data privacy
application can address many
“MY WORRY WITH MIDDLE
EASTERN COMPANIES IS
THEY WILL BE UNSIGHTED
AND THE KNOCK ON THE
DOOR COMES COMPLETELY
OUT OF THE BLUE.”
www.intelligentcio.com
INTELLIGENTCIO
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