By Liquid Intelligent Technologies Regional Chief Commercial Officer, Lorreta Songola has highlighted several methods that the country can adopt to improve and manage data privacy practices in Zimbabwe.
The ways are to foster a top-down approach to ensure active involvement and support senior management in data protection efforts.
The first step will be to designate a data protection officer to oversee data protection efforts. The senior person should have expertise in data protection and regulation within the organization.
This is important in ensuring data privacy is prioritized and implemented effectively. For example, a healthcare company might recruit a seasoned legal professional with expertise in healthcare data privacy laws, responsible for ensuring compliance with regulations and conducting regular data privacy audits.
Provide regular training to employees on data protection best practices. Ongoing training helps create a culture of data privacy within the organization. An e-commerce company might implement a quarterly training program covering topics such as recognizing phishing attacks and secure handling of customer data. The employees need to be aware of the risks involved in the use of Artificial Intelligence tools in terms of information about the organization.
To understand the concept of data privacy and its importance. Data privacy refers to the protection of personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. A tech start-up might include a module on data privacy in its on boarding program for new hires, explaining the principles of data protection and the company’s commitment to safeguarding personal information. By defining data privacy and ensuring that all stakeholders understand its importance, organizations can create a framework for protecting sensitive information.
Always be mindful of retaining customer trust. Build customer trust by being transparent about data collection and usage practices. For instance, an online retailer might prominently display its privacy policy on its website, detailing how customer data is collected, used, and protected. Communicate to your customers how their information is being used and stored and, implement privacy policies that outline your organization’s commitment to data privacy.
Some of the ways are always ensure meticulous regulatory compliance, invest in local data storage solutions, have regulatory approved or recommended agreements in place for cross-border transfer, and implement robust cyber security measures to protect against cyber threats. These measures help in addressing and managing the security of data in Zimbabwe.
Comments