Latest posts
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Out of resource? Try us out of hours!
If you want experienced information governance consultancy on a shoestring, Governance Essentials can provide reliable resource on an out of hours basis at a very competitive rate. Out of hours consultancy is perfect for dealing with FOI, EIR and Subject Access Requests and internal reviews, developing policies and communications, authoring reports for senior management, conducting…
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Snippets from Data Protection history
Ahead of Data Privacy Day on Thursday (28th January) I’ve gone back in time to look at the evolution of data protection rights to try and identify how we got to where we are. In 1890 the Harvard Law Review carried an article by Warren and Brandeis (largely written by the latter) on ‘The Right…
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Process makes perfect
I spoke in a webinar for UCISA in the last week on how I achieved ISO27001 using the processes and management practices within COBIT5. I also shared some tips about how to ‘manage’ the audit, and turn it from a defensive exercise where you’re constantly sitting waiting for the worst to be requested…. to a…
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The age of the train(ing)
I was asked to participate in a roundtable on how to make privacy stick. I’m writing this ahead of then to get my thoughts in a row, but also to reflect on my experiences across 15 years of trying to convince thousands of people that information governance is important, and that taking a little time…
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Favourable Feedback
It’s impossible to underestimate the restorative powers that positive feedback has on your confidence and determination to do well for others. I recently spoke at an excellent GDPR conference (as the last speaker of the day ahead of the final panel discussion) and was delighted to receive the following positive comments: Good end to the…
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Security awareness tips
I attended an event recently on promoting cyber security awareness through large organisations and this post aims to summarise some of the great ideas that came through. THINK ABOUT YOUR AUDIENCE With awareness training a one-size fits all approach might not be the best one. Think about your audience, and how they might relate to…
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Insuring success
Many years ago I was in an assessment centre for a then well known insurance company. As a brave gambit in my interview I evoked Winston Churchill who had strong views on its importance. Needless to say I didn’t get the job but it feels appropriate to quote him all the same which I do…
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Tips for trainers
I’ve been thinking about the art of training, and the lessons I’ve learned from my 15+ years of standing at the front of the room/lecture theatre/auditorium Be prepared. Ensure you’ve got every eventuality covered. Failing IT hardware, broken power leads, no internet connectivity all get you off to a bad start which is difficult to…
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ISO Satisfying
I have managed to steer a 270 seat ICT department through the certification process for ISO9001 (the International Standard for Quality Management Systems) and ISO27001 (for Information Security Management Systems). After a 4 day audit which followed months of preparation, the result saw a clean assessment with only a few opportunities for improvement identified. It’s…
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Stroking the lion
Everyone seemingly is waiting for the ICO to show their teeth regarding GDPR. Until we start seeing monetary penalty notices, the worthy words from the regulator will be just that. To anticipate their potential approach, it’s worth revisiting their past actions – a brief history of enforcement if you will. The Information Commissioners Office got…