Privacy is increasingly an area of focus for both regulators and consumers, with concern about this issue at an all-time high. Per Scott Taylor, General Counsel, “As the largest security software company in the world, Symantec has earned the trust of consumers, businesses and governments alike to secure and manage their information and identities. We place the highest priority on maintaining this trust and believe it is imperative to be transparent about our business positions as questions arise across the globe on data security and privacy.” Throughout the year, our Privacy Program Office works to enable Symantec to incorporate privacy into every product and process that touches personal information, through education and awareness, and through collaboration with a network of Privacy Champions and Privacy Leaders throughout the company. Our Privacy Champions and Privacy Leaders actively promote privacy within their business units and partner with the Privacy Program Office to support company-wide privacy initiatives.
As part of this, Symantec is embracing Privacy by Design to foster accountability for privacy across the company and to embed privacy proactively in our day to day business activities so that we address our customers concerns and expectations about privacy also in the way we build our products. This is our greatest opportunity to provide the privacy assurances our customers are asking for. Even as we prepare for the split of our companies and for the transformation it will bring, privacy is one of the core values that we apply to ensure adequate protection and governance for the personal information of employees and customers impacted by the transition.
For Data Privacy Day 2015, Symantec became a Data Privacy Day (DPD) champion with staysafeonline.org, part of the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). Symantec joins the growing effort among organizations, corporations, educational institutions, government entities and municipalities globally to raise awareness and educate consumers about how their personal information may be collected, the benefits and risks of sharing personal information as well as the nature and scope of online data usage. Through collaborative efforts and unified, consistent messaging about data privacy, all DPD Champions will work toward the goal of improving consumer consciousness and empowering everyone to safeguard their privacy. To publicly show our support for Data Privacy Day, we are launching targeted communication initiatives, including articles in our internal newsletters and an employee contest, to test and reward privacy awareness and familiarity with our policies.
On Data Privacy Day Symantec is also partnering with the Online Trust Alliance (OTA) to host one of the 2015 Data Privacy Day Town Halls and Breach Workshops at our corporate headquarters in Mountain View. This national series of events brings together public and private sector experts who provide prescriptive and actionable advice about data privacy and protection to the business community. This marks the 6th consecutive year OTA has taken on the leadership role in raising privacy and security awareness via hosting educational town halls, hands-on workshops and networking events. The DPD Town Hall series are underwritten in part by over a dozen leading organizations committed to best practices, consumer empowerment and online trust.
Check out the "Why Privacy Matters” slideshow below - The first in the series of explainers from Zero Knowledge Privacy Foundation.
Colleen Elings is Symantec's Privacy Program Manager