CIO OPINION

Businesses must not only protect the data they intake but also provide a mechanism for data deletion in light of the growing prevalence of privacy protection laws .

Sandeep Bhargava , SVP ,

Global Services and Solutions , Public Cloud Business Unit ,

Rackspace Technology

A Q & A with Sandeep Bhargava , SVP , Global Services and Solutions , Public Cloud Business Unit , Rackspace Technology .

How has the concept of data privacy changed over the years ?

When data privacy first emerged , it was not a widely recognised problem . Protecting physical data was more important to businesses and governments than protecting digital data privacy .

Because of the rise in the amount of personal data at risk , the possible repercussions of a data breach and the ease with which personal data may now be shared and accessed thanks to technology , data protection is more crucial than ever . Organisations should adopt strong data protection policies due to the increasing number of data breaches that have raised awareness among people and organisations of the dangers of improper handling of personal data .

We also see a rise in governments implementing more regulations to make companies accountable for safeguarding individuals ' interests . Amidst growing concerns about personal data misuse and breaches , it is reassuring that the long-awaited proposed amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act ( PDPA ) are now being introduced in Malaysia .

What do you think are the three biggest challenges organisations are facing whenit comes to data privacy ?

The global landscape of data privacy regulations is increasingly fragmented and organisations operating in various geographical locations need to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR ) in Europe , PDPA in Malaysia and other state-level regulations in Asia . This can be resource-intensive and costly and requires constant monitoring and updating of privacy practices within the company .

44 INTELLIGENTCIO APAC www . intelligentcio . com