Foundation. It is defined as a fact, an idea that provides support for something. It is also the basis of an edifice. It is also a type of makeup, apparently. At the IAPP, “Foundations” means a cool new project developed by IAPP’s training team with support from leading privacy and data protection experts. The IAPP designed Foundations of Privacy and Data Protection for new privacy professionals and those who work in privacy adjacent roles, and for organizations looking to build a baseline understanding of data protection across functional groups.
The need for privacy professionals is growing globally. Through empirical studies, the IAPP estimates we will need 1.5 to 2 million privacy professionals in the next five to 10 years. As privacy laws develop around the globe, let’s put that in perspective: In Europe alone the EU General Data Protection Regulation triggered the registration of about 500,000 data protection officers since its entry into force. Not all privacy pros need to be a DPO, obviously, but as today’s data-driven economy and society continues to expand, more than ever it takes a village: numerous functions in any organization, whether public, private, nonprofit, need — dare I say must — be sensitized to fundamental notions of privacy and data protection. That is where the IAPP Foundations of Privacy and Data Protection come in: It covers the most fundamental privacy concepts and practices to help fill the growing need for widespread understanding of privacy and data protection.
The training is a one-day course covering fundamental privacy principles, laws and concepts, and is designed to build the shared understanding needed to integrate and prioritize privacy across an organization. It is available as an instructor-led course or as self-paced e-learning and is also ideal for those seeking an introduction to the field of privacy.
IAPP Senior Training Manager Sarah Flaherty and Training Development Manager Elizabeth Young will be presenting a LinkedIn Live next week for those who are interested in learning more about this course. They will share what went into developing the course, who can benefit from it and how, as well as why our industry needs an introductory course for future and potential privacy professionals.
Elsewhere, this week was busy for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She delivered her State of the European Union Sept. 14 before the European Parliament, in the unprecedented presence of Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska. Von der Leyen opened her address with resolve, saying “moments ahead of us will not be easy. Much is at stake here. Not just for Ukraine — but for all of Europe and the world at large.” She added, “This is about autocracy against democracy.” Without talking about full membership to the European Union, von der Leyen unequivocally painted Ukraine’s future with a proactive integration into the EU Single Market.
At a different level, the European Commission released this week a new policy proposal dubbed the Cyber Resilience Act, a draft regulation on horizontal cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements. It aims to address security issues in digital products and ancillary services, to reduce the vulnerability of Internet of Things items. According to the European Commission, the legislative proposal serves four objectives: ensure that manufacturers improve the security of products with digital elements since the design and development phase and throughout the whole life cycle; ensure a coherent cybersecurity framework, facilitating compliance for hardware and software producers; enhance the transparency of security properties of products with digital elements; and enable businesses and consumers to use products with digital elements securely.
