Is your company data an asset or a threat? The issue will be discussed with particular reference to the U.K. Information is a commodity. Indeed, for many companies it's the most valuable asset they possess, especially when it comes to customer relationships. . .
Is your company data an asset or a threat? The issue will be discussed with particular reference to the U.K. Information is a commodity. Indeed, for many companies it's the most valuable asset they possess, especially when it comes to customer relationships. The more a company knows about its customers, the easier it is to reach out and touch them.

Now though, governments across Europe are under pressure to develop legislation in response to the growing consensus that businesses should be made accountable for how personal information is stored, used and distributed. Consequently, a raft of new laws have emerged which codify privacy rights for the digital age.

The Data Protection Act (DPA) and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) are, in the United Kingdom, the first in this new wave of 'cyberlaws' - legislation designed to reinforce privacy rights threatened by the unregulated dissemination of information, in a world where everything from birth records to shopping habits are stored electronically.

Much of the thinking behind cyberlaw is so new however, that the majority of companies are unaware it even exists, let alone realize they must now comply. And yet, unless business leaders take formal action to protect the integrity of their data, it could become a major threat rather than an important asset.

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