O3.17 Ensure compliance with privacy laws and evaluate risks around PII

Principle

O3: Ensure data privacy by design

Risk

Life Cycle Stage

L2: Strategy & Design

Practices

Configure systems to automatically enforce the highest privacy settings as default, minimizing the amount of personal data collected and ensuring that only necessary data is processed.

Practice data minimization, which is the retention of only the minimum amount of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) necessary for the intended purpose, and regularly review and purge unnecessary data.

Data Encryption: Use strong encryption methods to protect data both in transit and at rest, ensuring that unauthorized parties cannot access or interpret sensitive information.

Access Controls: Implement strict access controls and authentication measures to limit who can view or modify personal data, ensuring that only authorized individuals have access.

Privacy Training and Awareness: Provide ongoing privacy training for employees to ensure they understand privacy principles and how to handle personal data responsibly.

Regular Audits and Reviews: Conduct regular audits and reviews of data handling practices and privacy measures to ensure they remain effective and compliant with evolving regulations.

Incident Response Planning: Develop and maintain a clear incident response plan to quickly address and mitigate the impact of any data breaches or privacy incidents.

Resources

References

Department of Homeland Security. Privacy Impact Assessments. https://www.dhs.gov/privacy-impact-assessments