Consult with IT
As marketing becomes more involved with data-driven analytics and personalization, it’s important to look to the IT organization for guidance, expertise, and best practices. The right data protection policies, processes, and training need to be prioritized and fully ingrained in organization functions. At a minimum, baseline security technologies and capabilities such as encryption need to be selected, deployed and routinely tested.

Choose your partners wisely

Given the complex and dynamic nature of protecting personal data, it makes sense to minimize what you hold. For most organizations, the right course will be to partner with a technology provider focused on streamlining the handling of personal data. Some new API-based services can help deliver the information you need without saddling you with keeping and protecting sensitive data. The right solution should ensure that data is dispersed, not held centrally. It should pull information from authoritative sources. It should depend on permission from the individual for access. And it should be continuously refreshed with the latest updates.

We need these solutions in order to support the expansion of digital business. Last year's Equifax breach exposed 145 million Americans to identity theft. That was followed by Yahoo's three billion customer accounts being compromised. Still, significant progress is possible. Equifax not withstanding, the financial services industry has long pioneered leading-edge data security strategies and technologies, making online banking and credit card transactions reliable and secure. And now health care is in the personal data hot seat as they transition to digital. So get ready.

New and more serious threats, rising patient expectations, the expansion of our digital lives, and new technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things mean that protecting personally identifiable data will be an ongoing challenge in the health care industry. Now is the time to find ways to protect your organization and your patients from data breaches, and to build relationships with the technology partners who can help you implement effective security strategies now and in the future. Giving your patients the confidence to share the details of their lives with you may already be a competitive differentiator.

About the Author: David Thomas is CEO of Evident, a data security company providing innovative business solutions to simplify interactions with personal data assets. He is an accomplished cybersecurity entrepreneur, having held key leadership roles at market pioneers Motorola, AirDefense, VeriSign, and SecureIT. He has a history of introducing innovative technologies, establishing them in the market, and driving growth – with each early-stage company emerging as the market leader.

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