Second annual data protection conference for Irish businesses and organisations announced as GDPR compliance deadline approaches

The second annual data protection conference Dublin Data Sec 2018, with keynote speaker the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) for Ireland Helen Dixon, was announced today. The event takes place on Monday April 9^th in the RDS Concert Hall. With the deadline for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) fast approaching, and the increasing risk of cyber attacks, Dublin Data Sec 2018 will guide businesses and organisations through the necessary steps to compliance with a focus on transparency, security and accountability.

The GDPR directive comes into force on May 25^th 2018. Businesses or organisations could face fines of up to €20m or 4 per cent of annual global turnover for non-compliance under the new regulations. Dublin Data Sec will address the challenges and opportunities for Irish businesses, charities, voluntary groups and public sector organisations around data protection under the GDPR.

Dublin Data Sec 2018 is supported by sponsors Microsoft, Irish managed IT services provider Arkphire, global law firm Eversheds Sutherland and enterprise security solutions provider RedFlare.

Helen Dixon the DPC for Ireland, will be joined at Dublin Data Sec 2018 by speakers including information security industry expert Brian Honan; Deirdre Garvey, Chief Executive Officer, The Wheel, Ireland’s national association of charities, community and voluntary organisations; Mark Little, CEO, Neva Labs; Helen Quinn of the Small Firms Association (SFA), executive with responsibility for HR, Employment Law and Data Protection member queries; and Ardi Kolah, Executive Fellow and Director of the GDPR Transition Programme at Henley Business School and Founder of GO DPO®. The speakers will form expert panels to guide delegates through the GDPR.

Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) for Ireland Helen Dixon commented, “The obligations in the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) apply directly to every organisation in Ireland from 25th May 2018. This means all public, private and voluntary organisations of every size need to be familiar with the requirements around what information must be given to all individuals when their personal data is being collected, used and stored and with the rights individuals have in relation to controlling how their personal data is treated. The GDPR recognises a risk-based approach and so for many smaller organisations, the steps to comply – once the requirements have been taken on board – are straightforward. See www.gdprandyou.ie for guidance booklets. For bigger organisations that process higher volumes of personal data and particularly special categories of personal data, such as health data, the steps to comply require considerable planning, resourcing and budget.  It will be mandatory from 25th May 2018 to report all personal data breaches (for example, loss of a laptop with unencrypted customer or employee lists) to the Irish Data Protection Commissioner. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to participate in INM’s very timely Data Sec conference to assist in guiding organisations as they prepare to comply with these important new laws.”

Along with the challenges of adjustment to the new regulations, driving the highest level of security under the new GDPR presents benefits to Irish businesses and organisations, in effect protecting businesses and their customers.

Key topics to be covered at Dublin Data Sec are: the prevention of data breaches and data loss; data retention; accountability, implementation and response; with the spotlight on unified platforms, reporting, data analysis, and data management, for example centralising data in dashboards to facilitate compliance with the GDPR. Security applications are a focus against the backdrop of growth in cloud and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).

Compliance requires awareness and collaboration across every aspect of businesses and the conference will also highlight employee awareness and training in relation to potential data breaches, as well as employee rights and privacy.

Adrian Weckler, Dublin Data Sec 2018 MC, and technology editor at INM explained, “This is one of the biggest, most impactful regulatory changes ever seen. It will affect organisations of all sizes and nature, from small firms right through to enterprise-level businesses and public sector bodies. Authorities in Ireland and across Europe have bluntly said that they will not hold back from using their considerably enhanced powers to enforce the new rules. Yet survey after survey shows that a majority of Irish organisations, even at this late stage, do not feel fully prepared for the GDPR rule change. This conference will contain crucial guidance for organisations seeking to make sure they don’t fall foul of the legal changes. Attendees will be given expert, easy-to-grasp advice and examples of what needs to be done prior to May 25th.”

Speakers at Dublin Data Sec 2018 include:

• HelenDixon, Data Protection Commissioner for Ireland
• Mark Little, CEO of Neva Labs
• Emerald de Leeuw, CEO Eurocomply GDPR Software
• Daragh O’Brien, Founder, Castlebridge, specialising in Information Trust
• Jason Dowling, Partner WDA and Co-Founder, RedFlare
• BrianHonan, CEO at BH Consulting, information security industry expert
• Helen Quinn, Executive with the Small Firms Association (SFA)
• Deirdre Garvey, Chief Executive Officer, The Wheel, Ireland’s national association of charities, community and voluntary organisations
• Ardi Kolah, Executive Fellow and Director of the GDPR Transition Programme at Henley Business School and Founder of GO DPO®
• Marie McGinley, Head of Intellectual Property, Technology and Data Protection at Eversheds Sutherland
• Sharon O’Reilly, GRC/GDPR Consultant with IT Governance
• Aoife Sexton, Co-Founder and Director, Frontier Privacy
• Howard Roberts, Chief Technology Officer, Arkphire
• Professor Theo Flynn, Professor of Digital Business at DCU Business School
• Shirley Finnerty, Business Group Lead for Windows and Devices at Microsoft Ireland
• Sean Whelan, Head of Data Protection at Paddy Power Betfair

  For  further information and tickets please visit www.independent.ie/datasec2018