Privacy by Design: The Gold Standard

Conference to promote taking a proactive approach to privacy at a time of increased data collection: Commissioner Cavoukian

TORONTO , Jan. 19 /CNW/ - "In light of the proliferation of emerging technologies, a comprehensive and proactive approach is required to protect privacy - an approach in which both privacy and security are effectively built into the information eco-system, throughout the entire data lifecycle," Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian said today. "Categorically reject talk of trade-offs, instead, embed privacy into the system."

The Commissioner is announcing a special conference - Privacy by Design: The Gold Standard - being held at the Toronto Board of Trade on International Data Privacy Day, January 28 . Jointly sponsored with the Toronto Board of Trade, this is the Commissioner's second annual Privacy by Design (PbD) event marking the special day.

To demonstrate the practical application of Privacy by Design, this year's conference focuses on the implementation of new technologies, business practices, and networked infrastructures, and how they deliver on the promise of PbD in a tangible manner. "Our theme - We did it ... so can you - builds on the practical successes that companies have achieved," said Commissioner Cavoukian.

Privacy experts will share their insights regarding a wide range of practices, including:

    
    -   the latest developments in privacy-protected video surveillance;
    -   the use of state-of-the-art encryption to protect personal
        information on mobile devices; and
    -   the impact of ubiquitous computing on home healthcare;
    

"Headlining our list of distinguished speakers are two visionaries who will set the stage for future applications of Privacy by Design," said the Commissioner - Dr. Kai Rannenberg , T-Mobile Chair for Mobile Business and Multilateral Security at Goethe University, Frankfurt , who will speak on Privacy by Design in Mobile Applications and Location-Based Services, and N. Arthur Smith , Founder and CEO of GS1 Canada , part of a major international supply chain standards organization, who will share his insights on Managing Privacy in the Evolution of the Internet of Things.

A well-received feature of the first PbD conference was the compelling displays from exhibitors, with experts on hand to answer questions. Exhibitors with innovative privacy-related solutions this year will include CryptoMill Technologies, Nymity, Deloitte, and KMKP Engineering. Other exhibits will offer a look at the leading-edge, privacy-related work being done by a number of start-up companies working with Toronto-based innovation centre MaRS.

"A proactive approach is increasingly required to protect privacy today," said Commissioner Cavoukian. "Individuals are increasingly subjected to new forms of data collection from all kinds of organizations. The growth of privacy-invasive technologies such as biometrics, Radio Frequency Identifiers (RFIDs) and video surveillance has intensified the need to sharpen our focus on privacy and the best practices needed for data protection."

Privacy by Design is a term that Commissioner Cavoukian coined in the '90s when she began her campaign to enlist the support of technology to protect privacy, rather than encroach upon it. "The future of privacy cannot be assured solely by compliance with regulatory frameworks; rather, privacy assurance must ideally become an organization's default mode of operation," said the Commissioner.

The Thursday, January 28 morning event begins with registration and breakfast at 7:30 a.m. , at the Board of Trade, with the program starting at 8.30 a.m. More information, including registration details, is available at http://www.privacybydesign.ca. You can also follow the event on Twitter @embedprivacy.

For further information: Media Contact: Bob Spence, Communications Co-ordinator, Direct line: [phone], Cell phone: [phone], Toll free: 1-800-387-0073, [email protected]