This column is part of Globe Careers' Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about leadership and management. Follow us at @Globe_Careers. Find all Leadership Lab stories at tgam.ca/leadershiplab.
With rapid technological advances making it easier to store and share vast amounts of personal information, people around the world are increasingly concerned about privacy. Responding to that concern, a growing number of specialized privacy professionals are working in companies of all shapes and sizes to craft privacy policy, implement privacy initiatives, and provide high-level guidance to executives and boards.
Privacy is a career choice filled with opportunity. Globally, new legislation such as the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation has been enacted – requiring dedicated teams that can ensure their organizations' compliance. Privacy budgets are expanding, with most of the respondents to a 2016 survey conducted by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) expecting an increase next year. And more than nine in 10 of those same respondents are confident that privacy "helps open career doors." However, many people end up in privacy roles almost by accident when they're asked to take charge "because someone has to do it." Yet for privacy professionals to do their jobs well, they need a thorough grounding in privacy governance and policy and emerging information technology. They also need a cluster of "21st century skills," including the ability to be creative, to innovate, to think critically, to engage in problem-solving, to collaborate, to stay flexible and adaptable, and to respond quickly to new challenges.
Because privacy is such a complex discipline, and because mistakes can have serious consequences, it's hard to learn all of this on the job. But educational programs focused exclusively on the needs of privacy professionals are few and far between. The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University, where I teach, recently launched one: the Certificate in Privacy, Access, and Information Management. By delivering a rigorous standard of training, programs like this can improve privacy protection for Canadians.
There are clear benefits for employers, too. Organizations are stronger when they can:
- hire new privacy professionals who can get “up to speed” faster because they have been equipped with practical skills they can apply on the job right away
- provide their privacy teams with cross-disciplinary, forward-looking knowledge tailored to the needs of their specific industry
- build an in-house resource that understands how other organizations are dealing with similar issues and that can help manage regulatory, reputational, and legal risk
Privacy professionals themselves can leverage educational programs to stay up to date on industry trends and boost their work and personal development goals. When they acquire strategies that help them complete tasks more efficiently, they can take on more responsibilities and advance into new roles. Meanwhile, distance education choices make it easier to fit learning into busy lives.
The bottom line is that enhancing the qualifications of privacy professionals gives businesses, educational institutions, and individuals an opportunity to address a key risk in our interconnected world. With the right training programs in place, we can mitigate threats to sensitive data and continue to leverage the benefits provided by our technology-rich environment.
Anita Fineberg, has practiced privacy law for more than 25 years. She is a sole practitioner and consultant specializing in the areas of privacy, access to information, data security, and information management.