Managing Personal Data Breaches – Key Cybersecurity Aspects

• Jurisdiction: European Union
• Year: 2021
• Author: Rosa Barcelo

Speaker

Rosa Barcelo has nearly 20 years of experience in European data protection and privacy. For the last three years, she has been working as a data protection lawyer at the global law firm Squire Patton Boggs, in Brussels, where she leads the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity EU team.

Prior to this, Rosa worked for the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) and for the European Commission. While at the European Commission, Rosa worked for two years in the data protection Unit, where she was responsible for technology issues and adequacy decisions such as EU-US Safe Harbor. Following this and between 2012 to 2018 she worked for DG CNECT, where she was Deputy Head of Unit of the Cybersecurity and Digital Privacy Unit. Amongst other ventures, she was responsible for the preparation and deliberations over the proposed e-Privacy Regulation and was involved in cybersecurity legislative files such as the NIS Directive.

Topic

In her presentation on personal data breaches, Rosa Barcelo delves into several crucial aspects that organizations must consider to effectively navigate this complex landscape. Central to her insights is the concept of preparation, which she emphasizes as a cornerstone in the management of data breaches.

Barcelo underscores the importance of proactive measures taken by organizations to minimize the risk of data breaches. This includes meticulous planning and implementation of robust cybersecurity protocols, data protection strategies, and employee training programs. By fortifying their defenses and developing a culture of data security, organizations can significantly reduce the likelihood of breaches occurring in the first place.

However, Barcelo acknowledges that despite the best preventive efforts, data breaches can still occur. Thus, she meticulously explores the intricacies of handling data breaches when they do happen. This involves a multifaceted approach that encompasses swift detection, containment, and mitigation of the breach's impact. Barcelo highlights the need for organizations to have well-defined incident response plans in place to effectively manage and address breaches as soon as they are identified.

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