Over the past decade, the way in which companies have had to gather, sort, handle, analyse and leverage data has changed significantly, with the past couple of years particularly serving as a litmus test for just how well equipped businesses are for the digital transformation age.

With the world starting to return to a relative level of normalcy, the need to have a proper grasp on your data has not died down either. In fact it has only intensified, with daily accounts of massive data breaches now commonplace, not to mention the complexity that comes with regulation.

The environment in which companies that specialise in handling data exist today is more volatile than ever. It is why being reactive is simply not going to cut it anymore and the businesses that thrive moving forward are those that look to futureproof their data practices and stay one step ahead of the industry.

This was the main topic of discussion at a recent roundtable hosted by Altron Security and OneTrust.

Here attendees unpacked their experiences over the past couple of years, as well as shared their knowledge around creating efficiencies, staying up-to-date on regulations, entrenching trust and automation in the business, and adopting next-generation technologies.

A growing shift in attitude

One of the key talking points at the roundtable centred around security. This has become, if not one of, the, most important consideration at a C-Suite or boardroom level, but there is an argument that this focused at a higher end of business might be misplaced.

This as security should be embedded into every element or the business as vulnerabilities can be exploited in a number of different ways if recent high profile data breaches are anything to go by.

That is why both Altron Security and OneTrust believe a fabric of trust needs to exist within an organisation. If it is weaved into all parts of the business, you can create a far more robust environment, not to mention one that is better equipped should the worst case scenario occur.

Recounting a recent breakaway session that the company held, Andrew Whittaker, MD at Altron Security, noted that trust was the number one thing that its customers want.

“Customers are looking for a traditional services partner because of the trust they place in them,” he explained.

“It is interesting to hear everyone around this table talk about driving trust from the start and how it can be difficult to get others to adopt it. That said there is a shift where people are beginning to realise that trust is critically intrinsic to the business,” Whittaker added.

“It’s a big job. There are a lot of boxes to tick, but I think in business there is a growing acceptance that trust is vital,” he continued.

Tackling people and compliance

The other big talking point focused on people. Yes, they are the lifeblood of the organisation, but over and above this, people are where most vulnerabilities in the organisation exist.

Tackle that and you tackle many of the issues as regards data security in your business, according to Whittaker, who estimates that it can address nearly 80 percent of the problems that crop up in a business environment.

“We did a lot of work around the people challenges until we realised that IT systems is not where the problem is anymore today. This is because data is pervasive and exists everywhere, which is why we need to put in specific controls about how we manage data,” he explained.

This is how the relationship between Altron Security and OneTrust came about.

This as the former was able to help customers better govern and control their data, but not fully assist on the compliance front, which is where OneTrust factors in.

As Ian Evans, MD for EMEA at OneTrust pointed out, the company’s expertise in compliance was truly born out of GDPR in 2017 as many an organisations were scrambling to ensure their data practices would not fall foul of regulators.

“We had three core functions in 2017, but that has since grown to a modular approach to data management and we now have around 25 different modules covering privacy related issues, governance, due diligence, risk, ethics and more,” noted Evans.

“While we started in the GDPR environment, we did not stay there as that would have made us more niche, so we have evolved into a global privacy platform,” he continued.

It therefore mirrors a similar situation we have seen in South Africa with PoPIA, as companies worked frantically last year to ensure they were compliant before the July deadline.

That said, there are still some grey areas that are open to interpretation, which is why expertise is still vital in clarifying what is needed from a data compliance perspective.

Trust remains hard earned

Evans also emphasised the importance of trust when it comes to compliance, as any breaches or unauthorised use of customer data can quickly and irrevocably erode that trust.

“How do we want to be known as a company? What are we doing to maintain our reputation? How does that impact trust?,” are all questions that Evans posited in terms of looking at regulatory compliance.

Using his own organisation as an example, he also noted that, “If it was our organisation and we had a significant security or data breach, we would no longer be trusted, which means we have to do everything we can to be as proactive as possible to make sure we maintain our position.”

The same goes for almost all organisations out there, with only a handful capable of surviving the reputational damage and erosion of trust that comes with a data breach or a compliance related misstep.

It is why Altron Security has opted for OneTrust as its key partner on such matters for clients, as Grant Long, practice lead for Data Governance and Privacy at the company stressed during the roundtable.

“We understand navigating the complexities of the ever-evolving governance and privacy landscape can be overwhelming. This is why we have looked at a technology partner like OneTrust whom provide what we term Next Generation technology in this space, making it more agile and easier for adoption while meeting specific areas within large projects,” he enthused.

If you are looking to weave a fabric of trust within your own organisation, or simply interested in the solutions and services on offer from Altron Security or its partner OneTrust, feel free to contact Grant Long via email at grant[dot]long[at]altron[dot]com.

[Image – Photo by Aditya Wardhana on Unsplash]