4 Guidelines on Sharing Data You Must Know

The subject of data sharing has gained importance in the corporate sector. Data sharing, which was previously thought of as a concept in the world of academic research, has now become an extremely important technology for companies of all sizes, whether they need to distribute data across a large, global organization or need to supplement internal data with more comprehensive market data to gain better insights.

Data sharing, at its most basic level, is the capacity to share identical sets of data resources among several users or applications while preserving data integrity for all organizations consuming the data.

Data can come from a variety of software programs that a company utilizes in the course of doing business, including signals from IoT devices like household appliances or power plant sensors, to website visitor activity. In the modern digital age, data sources and accompanying data quantities appear to be practically infinitely large.

With the enormous increase in data sharing, data security is gaining more and more importance.

What are the Guidelines on Data Sharing?

Regarding data sharing, the following 4 guidelines should be taken seriously.

1. Transparency, Legitimate Purpose, and Proportionality Must be Followed.
2. Compliance with All Applicable Requirements of the Data Privacy Act
3. Recognition and Protection of Affected Data Subjects' Rights
4. Implementation of Appropriate Security Measures

1. Transparency, Legitimate Purpose, and Proportionality Must be Followed.

Subject to conformity to the principles of transparency, legitimate purpose, and proportionality, the processing of personal data must be permitted.

Transparency: The individual providing the personal information must understand the scope, nature, dangers, and protections associated with the processing of their data, as well as their rights as data subjects and how to exercise those rights. All communications and information pertaining to the processing of personal data should be simple to comprehend and easy to obtain.

Legitimate purpose: Information processing must be in line with a clearly stated goal that doesn't violate morality, the law, or public policy.

Proportionality: Information processing must be sufficient, pertinent, appropriate, essential, and not excessive with respect to a stated and agreed-upon goal. Personal data may be processed only when there are no other reasonable options for achieving the processing goal.

2. Compliance with All Applicable Requirements of the Data Privacy Act

Processing of personal data is permitted as long as it complies with the Act's criteria and those of other laws that permit disclosure of information to the public, as well as the values of openness, purposefulness, and proportionality.

3. Recognition and Protection of Affected Data Subjects' Rights

Under any of the following circumstances, further processing of personal data obtained from a party other than the data subject is permitted:

• Data sharing is permitted where it is specifically permitted by law, provided that there are sufficient protections for data security and privacy and that processing complies with the principles of openness, necessity, and proportionality.

• Data sharing is permitted in the private sector provided the data subject agrees to it and the following requirements are met:

1. In order to share data with an affiliate, parent firm, or another entity with a similar connection, consent is necessary.

2. A data sharing agreement must encompass the sharing of data for commercial reasons, including direct marketing.

   • The data sharing agreement must set up sufficient security and privacy protections for the data as well as maintain data subject rights.
   • The Commission may examine the data sharing agreement at any time, either on its own initiative or in response to a data subject's complaint;

3. Before any data is gathered or shared, the following details must be given to the data subject:

   • The identity of the controllers or processors of personal information who will have access to the personal data
   • The reason for sharing data
   • The categories of impacted personal data
   • The recipients or classes of recipients who are intended to receive the personal data
   • The existence of data subject rights, such as the right to access and update information as well as the right to object
   • Additional details that would adequately educate the data subject on the kind, scope, and mode of data exchange and processing.

4. The principles of data privacy outlined in the Act, these rules, and other Commission issuances must be followed while processing shared data in the future.

   • When personal information is already publicly accessible or has the subject's agreement, data collection from parties other than the data subject for research purposes is permitted: As long as sufficient protections are in place, no choice that directly affects the data subject may be based on the information that has been collected or processed. In order to protect data subject rights, research integrity must not be jeopardized.
   • A data sharing agreement must be in place before any government entity can share data for the benefit of a public function or the delivery of public service.

5. Any or all government agencies that are parties to the agreement must abide by the Act, these rules, and any other directives issued by the Commission. This includes putting in place sufficient security and privacy measures for data.

6. The Commission may assess the data sharing agreement on its own initiative or in response to a data subject's complaint.

4. Implementation of Appropriate Security Measures

The implementation of reasonable and suitable organizational, physical, and technological security measures by personal information controllers and processors is required for the protection of personal data.

The controller and processor of personal information must take precautions to make sure that any natural person operating on their behalf and having access to personal data does not use it for any other purpose than to carry out their instructions or as required by law.

The security measures must be designed to safeguard personal data from accidental or illegal destruction, modification, and disclosure, as well as from any other unlawful processing. They must also seek to maintain the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of the data. These steps must be taken to safeguard personal information from both natural hazards like accidental loss or destruction and human hazards like unauthorized access, fraudulent use, unauthorized destruction, alteration, and contamination.

Figure 1. 4 Guidelines on Sharing Data You Must Know

What is Data?

Since the invention of computers, information sent or saved by computers has been referred to as "data." There are other forms of data as well; this is not the sole definition, though. So what are the numbers? Data might include words or numbers that are recorded on paper, bytes, bits that are kept in the memory of technological devices, or truths that are retained in a person's memory.

As a result of technological advancements, particularly those in smartphones, text, video, and audio are now included within the category of data. The web and activity log records are now included. This data is largely unorganized.

The definition of data uses the phrase "Big Data" to refer to data that is at least one petabyte in size. Another method to systematically characterize big data is using the five Vs: variety, volume, value, veracity, and velocity. Web-based eCommerce is now widely used, and big data business models have developed to use data as an asset in and of itself. Big Data also offers several benefits, like lower costs, more efficiency, higher sales, etc.

In terms of computer applications, data meaning has gone beyond data processing. As a result, numerous definitions of data exist in the fields of finance, demography, health, and marketing, which eventually leads to diverse responses to the perennial question, "What is data?"

How Does Data Sharing Work?

The jubilant screams of business owners who are enthusiastically embracing the new data economy are well known to us all. But for one reason only -a lack of understanding- many businesses have yet to dip a toe into the knowledge pool. So how precisely does data exchange operate?

The most straightforward answer to the question "How does data sharing work?" is not comprehensive, but it does give a general idea of what to expect. In its simplest form, data exchange refers to the act of sharing data, either with another business or through a platform for data exchange.

The purposeful exchange of data between different parties for the benefit of all stakeholders is a more thorough explanation. Chief Data Officers (CDOs), for instance, have access to specific data points from around the globe through this exchange, which may help them with data analysis or data-driven marketing strategies for the benefit of their own organizations.

The advantage for all stakeholders increases enormously when several data points are accessible, as is the case with a data exchange platform. This is what we are increasingly observing as businesses from all sectors try to invest in the new data economy.

A ready-made data sharing platform is different from a simple data exchange between two (or more) firms since the former can be time-consuming and of little benefit to both parties. Scaling data cooperation is impossible with one-off contracts and custom technological solutions.

The greatest data sharing systems, however, may combine a range of isolated and dispersed data for the advantage of all participants. You may gain additional insights into the data you currently have access to by gaining access to 2nd party data for external businesses.

What are the Most Important Things a Company Must Do to Be Compliant with Data Privacy Law?

Organizations want to profit from data, but as politicians worldwide continue to implement new data privacy rules and amend current ones, new difficulties arise.

According to Scott Schlesinger, a partner at PA Consulting and the company's North American data and analytics head, more than 150 privacy-related laws were up for consideration in 40 U.S. states in 2021. The number of international laws is expanding as firms try to comply with data compliance rules.

China enacted the Personal Information Protection Law in August 2021, with the new legislation going into effect in November 2021, while federal U.S. efforts to legislate data privacy remain stalled. With the proposed Massachusetts Information Privacy Act, Massachusetts is the most recent state to contemplate similar legislation.

Organizations face significant problems as executives try to comprehend and abide by the standards included in each of the myriad data privacy laws.

According to Rebecca Herold, CEO of The Privacy Professor and a member of the Emerging Trends Working Group with the IT governance organization ISACA, "everything that we needed to handle in relation to legal obligations 20 years ago is still there, but today there are many, many more."

Companies that take a patchwork approach to the issue, focusing on the needs of one regulation separately from the others, may find themselves overwhelmed very quickly.

Instead, businesses may handle this problem holistically. This strategy enables them to create an extensive data privacy policy that addresses all applicable data compliance standards.

The following high-level components are crucial for doing that:

1. High-level assistance: According to Herold, the number of rules and the penalties for noncompliance have elevated the necessity for a strong privacy program to the top of the corporate priority list. That implies that the CEO and board should support it.

According to Herold, they must support the creation and upkeep of a privacy compliance practice since doing so requires continual money, knowledge, and collaboration between CEOs and their departments. You will fail if you don't have backing from the top, she asserted.

2. Participation: Regardless of whether the job is the chief privacy officer or another one, organizations must designate one executive to be in charge of data privacy. According to Schlesinger, CEOs cannot expect that every functional leader will act without being held responsible for the program's success or failure.

These things, he said, "die on the vine unless there is someone at a senior level to be that advocate." Schlesinger argued that no one leader can or ought to be in charge of all the necessary duties. For a data privacy program to be successful, the person in charge of accountability must work together with all the key players (functional executives, the legal team, IT, and security, for example) to make sure that the policies are thorough, that controls are in place, and that they are consistently followed across the entire organization.

3. A thorough evaluation of the factors that affect the organization: Then, according to Herold, a group of leaders must identify and comprehend the laws, rules, and internal policies that set down the responsibility of their business with regard to data privacy. This is more complicated than it first appears because businesses frequently have to abide by several local/state/national, and even business-specific regulations (like HIPAA).

4. Take note of the rules for breach notification: In connection with that, Herold advised all firms to recognize the breach notification regulations they would have to adhere to in the case of a successful attack and comprehend the various needs of each piece of legislation.

There are more than 50 federal and state breach notification rules in the United States, but as Herold noted, "They're all spelled differently." For instance, she said that various states have varied definitions of what defines a resident and different time frames for when they must send out alerts.

5. A complete data accounting: Similarly, according to Enza Iannopollo, principal analyst at Forrester Research, firms must be aware of the data they own, where it came from, and where it is kept. Because businesses are prone to overlooking data kept in outdated files and legacy systems, completing this task is also easier said than done.

Because they are required by various privacy regulations to secure the data they collect and share with others, organizations must also take into account how data is transferred to and from suppliers and other parties.

According to Iannopollo, understanding the data is the key to privacy. "You can't even start to be in compliance with data-based laws and regulations if you don't even know all the data you're gathering, maintaining, processing, and sharing."

6. A structure: Organizations should use frameworks to assist them to structure their data privacy compliance processes, according to Iannopollo, given the number of rules and the differences between them.

According to respondents to ISACA's "Privacy in Practice 2022" study, 84% do in fact manage privacy using a framework, law, or regulation. The following are the top five frameworks and laws that respondents' organizations employ to manage privacy:

• European Union's GDPR (50%)
• NIST Privacy Framework (47%)
• ISO/IEC 27002: 2013 (40%)
• COBIT (26%)
• ISO/IEC 27701 (25%).

7. Maintenance and update considerations: Organizations must have procedures for revising their own privacy compliance policies to ensure that they are in line with current laws since lawmakers frequently update existing legislation and add new ones, according to Herold.

Once your program is formed, it will be your largest issue, she added. "However, it will help you if you approach it carefully and maintain it consistently. Then you won't have to play Whack-A-Mole and ponder the rules that apply to you right now".

According to Iannopollo, frameworks, privacy management software, and digital tools for governance, risk, and compliance are all helpful in this endeavor.

8. Recognized possible weak areas: Schlesinger added that although data privacy protocols can prevent possible sources of failure, they are not infallible. Although executives cannot completely remove hazards, they may manage them well by detecting, prioritizing, and minimizing them according to risk-reward analyses.

Think about, for instance, how a hybrid workplace can influence privacy procedures that are effective for office workers but may not be as enforceable for remote workers. Also, take into account how giving partners access to data may both facilitate quick service for clients and result in compliance failures if any of their vendors have lax privacy rules or have a breach.

Schlesinger advises that all internal, external, cultural, and political issues that can jeopardize your program be taken into consideration.

9. Harmony between actions and statements made by organizations: According to Herold, businesses are sharing more information on how they utilize and safeguard data, usually as a result of legal obligations. She has nonetheless dealt with several businesses whose publicly stated rules diverge from what they actually do, a disparity that might result in significant fines. Make sure the two are in line, is all she says.

10. A method for using privacy laws to your advantage: According to research, customers have higher expectations for the companies they provide their data; they want to know that such companies will protect the information and treat it with respect.

Businesses ought to see that as a chance. Customer loyalty is typically increased by organizations that are seen as leaders in protecting customer data and are open about how they utilize it, according to Schlesinger.

He said, "It may result in a sustained competitive advantage, converting that data compliance difficulty into an opportunity".

What is Data Protection?

Protecting confidential data against theft, manipulation, or corruption is the process of data protection.

As data is produced and stored at previously unheard-of speeds, the significance of data protection grows. Additionally, there is a limited tolerance for downtime that can prevent access to crucial information.

As a result, a key component of a data security plan is making sure that data can be swiftly recovered after any loss or damage. Other crucial aspects of data protection include guaranteeing data privacy and safeguarding data against intrusion.

Millions of workers had to work from home due to the coronavirus epidemic, necessitating the necessity for remote data security. Businesses must change to guarantee that workers' data is protected whether they are working from laptops at home or a central data center at work.

How can a Firewall Protect Your Data?

Depending on the regulations set by the organization in charge of administering the firewall, a firewall is a network security device that analyzes incoming and outgoing data from your network and permits or prohibits the data from reaching its final destination. It serves as the first line of security protection for your network and is designed to stop dangerous traffic like viruses, malware, and hackers.

Firewalls can be hardware components or computer programs that operate on servers or workstations.

Incoming and outgoing data are analyzed by firewalls, both physical and software, utilizing rules set up and enabled by the firewall provider, your IT service, or other software that interacts with the firewall. The firewall may decide if traffic is valid and should be allowed through to its final destination by filtering this data.

For instance, if content filtering is turned on, the firewall will detect traffic from prohibited websites, typically via IP addresses, and will prevent access while alerting the user. You may have encountered this on your web browser when trying to access a website and instead getting a warning that the website is blocked or hazardous to access.

However, firewalls shield more than just web browser activity. Depending on the type of data, different "ports" or places on your network will attempt to be accessed by that data. One that is frequently used is a port that accepts VoIP phone communication. Only traffic from the VoIP provider would be permitted to access this port according to the rules defined in your firewall; all other traffic would be rejected.

Network security is crucial for keeping a secure network, preventing malware and viruses from interfering with your work, and ensuring that your data is safe and unusable by malicious parties.

You may prevent unwanted traffic from reaching your network by using a firewall as the first line of defense in your web security. This way, you can make sure that users and devices can only access the information they need and nothing more.