Privacy Assurance Assessments

BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Following some recent, high-profile security breaches, companies are increasingly focused on information assurance as a means to protecting their customer data. Privacy assurance can offer an important strategic advantage, because customers will want to do business with companies that will protect their personal information. Therefore, business customers frequently seek third-party attestation before initiating new or incremental business.

COVESTIC'S SOLUTION
Privacy assurance is a type of security service specifically focused around protecting personally identifiable information (PII), including financial, medical, and employment information. Covestic's privacy assurance includes working with legal and human resources departments to review the appropriate policies and procedures. It also includes an examination of data classification structure and data management life cycle processes, and identifying data owners responsible for classifying data and controlling access. These efforts are looking at the soft side of the privacy effort.

Once the policies, procedures, and data flow diagrams have been examined, the next step is to examine the hard controls the client has in place to protect access and disclosure of PII. These controls range from network security architecture to data access permissions and content monitoring

The final element assessed in privacy assurance services is the company's incident response capability. There should be contingencies for hacking attacks, internal or business partner misuse, and damage or destruction of PII. The goal is limiting liability exposure and minimizing a tarnished public image.

COVESTIC ADVANTAGE
Founded on the principle that seasoned experts representing a combination of consulting and practical application experience are a critical component of technology-based initiatives, Covestic employs more than eighty industry-recognized consultants who have fostered the growth of information technology and related disciplines. Covestic team members are drawn from a variety of well-respected professional services firms and technology-oriented industry players to compose integrated, cross-disciplined teams. With expert professionals in all aspects of I.T. security consulting and business risk management, Covestic teams have successfully designed and implemented security solutions for local, state, and federal government agencies, and for Fortune 500 firms.