Protecting your Personal Data: How UC and Privacy Go Together

We're living in a world where information is everywhere. Every time you log onto your social media channels, fill out a quiz, connect with someone over the telephone, or even ask your virtual assistant to order something for you, you're adding to the information overflow.

Of course, there are positives and negatives to this ocean of data. For the modern business, data is the key to stronger connections with your target audience. The more you know about the people you're selling to, the more you can adjust your strategies to suit their specific needs. Of course, on the other side of the coin, is the issue of privacy. People want to know how, and when you're using their information, and they want the right to take that data back if they feel you're not accessing it properly.

Facebook is currently experiencing some serious heat because the company failed to keep user data safe. We've all read the story about Facebook allowing "Global Science Research" to get their hands on fairly detailed information of over 87 million users.  The problem wasn't with the data gathering practices themselves, but with the fact that people didn't know their personal information was being gathered and shared.

Privacy and The Communication Sphere

[caption id="attachment_30205" align="alignleft" width="300"] GDPR comes into effect 25th May 2018[/caption]

So, what does Facebook's poor privacy strategy have to do with your business communication network? The simple answer is that communication is changing. Information is being gathered in various places, from emails with your customers to conversations recorded on your desk phone. The more the communication highway evolves, the more companies are having to rethink their data protection strategies.

For instance, if you're sharing documents and messaging people on an online app, you're transferring data, so you need to know where that information is being stored, who you're sharing it with, and what's going to happen with that data when you're done with it. Today, all organisations have vast collections of confidential information to manage, and much of it is subject to the data protection regulations of the industry - including the looming GDPR.

Thanks to a higher availability of freemium services and BYO approaches to collaboration services, CIOs have been left with piles of disconnected data to contend with, in a world where one misplaced file could leave you in a heap of trouble.

The Risks of Poorly-Organised Information

Whether it's in the contact centre, or throughout any other consumer touchpoint, consumer data faces a range of risks - both accidental and intentional. For instance, of a call centre employee records more of a customer payment card than they're allowed to by PCI law, then the entire business could be penalized. Additionally, the GDPR places highly specific limitations on how and when organisations should store data, as well as how long this information should be stored for, and how it must be protected.

Not only do companies need to make sure that they're storing information carefully, but they also have to be prepared to share any of the information that they gather with their customers too - or with other organisations, if requested by the customer.