Privacy Breach Service
The Service
According to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPCC), a privacy breach occurs when there is unauthorized access to, or collection, use, or disclosure of, personal information. In the recent past, hundreds of thousands of Canadians have been negatively affected by such events. In the United States, a study by the Identity Theft Resource Center revealed that more than 35 million data records were breached in that country during 2008 - a 47 percent increase over 2007.
The quantity and portability of records today means that such breaches will inevitably occur. Organizations that experience a privacy breach in Canada face the prospect of lost business and client (or employee) confidence, interventions by privacy regulators and, increasingly, class action lawsuits by individuals affected by a breach.
The Need
Given these negative consequences, it is imperative that organizations that deal with personal information (i) have appropriate processes in place to avoid or mitigate such data emergencies and (i) have access to expert advice when addressing the complex questions that can arise in the course of responding to a breach.
How We Can Help
CanadaPrivacy Services Inc. (CPSI) can help your organization to develop a breach response protocol that will meet regulatory requirements and incorporate privacy best practices from across Canada. Our experts have more than 40 years experience in applying Canadian privacy legislation and in helping organizations to prepare and implement privacy compliance programs. If a breach occurs, we can guide your organization through the breach response and repair processes.
Organizations should take preventative steps prior to a breach occurring by having reasonable policies and procedural safeguards in place, and conducting necessary training.Privacy Commissioner of Canada