Information contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press announcement, but may be subject to change without prior notice.
February 5, 2014
Hitachi Data Systems Releases Discussion Paper for New Privacy Era
Sydney - February 5, 2014 - Hitachi Data Systems Corporation (HDS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), today announced the release of a discussion paper aimed at helping organisations navigate the challenges of being compliant with the new Privacy Act legislation.
In the memorandum titled The New Era of Privacy, Hitachi Data Systems explores how the new privacy rules can be extended to an organisation's existing data security practices, transform its information systems, and implement a culture of compliance.
The 13 new Australian Privacy Principles come into effect on March 12, 2014, and will require businesses to manage personal customer information more stringently.
"Businesses will need to treat the personal information they collect on their customers as a valuable and protected asset and ensure they introduce systems and processes that recognise the new rules of the information era," said Adrian De Luca, chief technology officer, Hitachi Data Systems Asia Pacific
In the discussion paper, HDS also outlines a number of technology issues that organisations must take into account when undertaking a privacy assessment. They include:
In order to meet audit requests, organisations should support industry or de facto standards that allow easy access to data assets, as well as offer application-independent search and retrieval capabilities.
A Longhaus report released last year said that more than half of Australian organisations are struggling to keep up with legal changes governing information management. The survey found that compliance with government and corporate regulation is a key objective for more than 2/3 (68%) of businesses surveyed in the next 2 years.
Create a Culture of Privacy
The new Australian Privacy Principles will have significant implications for how businesses manage their customer information collection processes, and businesses should ensure the right procedures, practices and systems are in place.
"This information will need to be persistent, immutable, auditable and versioned - meaning that every stage and form of the data needs to be protected, copied, and searchable," De Luca said.
He added that organisations should conduct an audit to assess their current compliance status, review technology capabilities and identify gaps, and educate employees about the need to create a culture of privacy management.
"Employees need to be educated about the details of the new privacy principles and how they affect their job function," De Luca said. "They also need to be advised about how external information collection systems need to managed."
To view the New Era of Privacy whitepaper, please visit http://www.hds.com/go/new-era-of-privacy [registration required].
Hitachi Data Systems provides information technologies, services and solutions that help companies improve IT costs and agility, and innovate with information to make a difference in the world. Our customers gain compelling return on investment (ROI), unmatched return on assets (ROA), and demonstrable business impact. With approximately 6,300 employees worldwide, Hitachi Data Systems does business in more than 100 countries and regions. Our products, services and solutions are trusted by the world's leading enterprises, including more than 70% of the Fortune 100 and more than 80% of the Fortune Global 100. Visit us at www.hds.com/anz/.
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2013 (ended March 31, 2014) totaled 9,616 billion yen ($93.4 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, power systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at www.hitachi.com.
Hitachi Data Systems
Isabel Wagner
(+61) 2 9325 3365
isabel.wagner@hds.com
DC Communications
Scott Mckenzie
(+61) 433 144 731
scott@dc-comms.com
