Robert J. Johnson, CSDS, CIPP/US, CIPP/E
Organizations rely on a number of different Data Processors for things like record storage, secure shredding, computer recycling, and a long list of other services that require sharing access to regulated personal information. And, though it doesn’t replace the requisite vendor selection due diligence evaluation, assessing their compliance acumen can help determine the service provider’s…
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This entry explains how combining a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with a strong information protection policy is now the best way to prevent former employees from sharing competition-sensitive information. And, while others have pointed to NDAs as an alternative, they fail to identify the critical importance information protection policies play in this strategy. Most current employees…
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This entry explains why data processors (in particular) should have two distinct complementary types of information protection policies: one outlining the information security practices related to the services they provide data controllers, and another covering how they protect the vital information used to run their business. All modern data protection regulations require data controllers (clients)…
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This entry is intended to help both novice and veteran data protection professional appreciate the number and types of service providers subject to the compliance requirements of privacy regulations. As far back as the mid 1990s, regulations have reflected the fact that data-related vendors, a.k.a., data processors, are critical to data controllers’ ability to protect…
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For close to 70 years, case law and regulatory enforcement have firmly established that in order to defend its intellectual property (IP) rights, an organization must demonstrate that it has appropriately protected the information from unauthorized and unnecessary access. In other words, courts and regulators decided long ago that they were not going to defend…
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There may be no more confusing and misunderstood area of controller-processor contracts than insurance and indemnification. Controllers often expect processors to accept liability, while ignoring the quality (or existence) of processors’ underlying insurance coverage. Processors, on the other hand, often buy insurance products that provide minimal or no protection to meet those controller expectations. This…
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KEY TAKEAWAYS: Information custody transfers are far more ubiquitous and riskier than most organizations appreciate. From a legal and regulatory perspective, “access to” equals “custody of.” There are specific elements and contractual assurances upon which all organizations should insist when transferring personal or proprietary information. Failure to obtain the appropriate assurances from any vendor accessing…
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Yesterday’s SEC release alleging that software developer SolarWinds Corp. and its Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) T. Brown misled investors about known cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities is yet another in a series of Commission actions regarding cybersecurity that should be setting off alarms for CISOs, CIOs, and the boards at all publicly traded companies and…
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This is the second blog in an ongoing series examining the often-overlooked nuances of data controller/data processor contracts. Regulatory alignment is one of the primary reasons regulations require contracts between data controllers and data processors. And, yet, despite its primacy, many contracts make the mistake of establishing this linkage with an overly simplistic clause stating…
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This blog explains why and when organizations should require contracts with service providers that have access to customer or employee personal information. One of the most underappreciated aspects of data controller/data processors contracts is when they are needed. This results from either 1) a lack of awareness of their necessity, or 2) the failure to…
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