Much of the emphasis on effective data management focuses (and understandably so) on processes that control the creation, transmission, and storage of data. There is, however, the equally pressing concern of effective data destruction. Records that no longer are useful, and that the organization isn’t legally required to maintain, present risks. “If you leave data […]
Karen Kroll
Posted inFrom the Archive
Info Governance: Tracking Data After It Has Left the Building
It’s difficult enough maintaining visibility and control over data located within the confines of the company. So what happens when data leaves the building, perhaps headed for a cloud provider, a third-party benefits administrator, or to the Comfort Inn inside a traveling employee’s laptop or tablet? Given the network of third parties, including resellers, vendors, […]
Posted inFrom the Archive
Companies Respond to Increased Whistleblower Protections
Most companies are finding they need to do more to add protections for an expanding group of potential whistleblowers, as new regulations on retaliation against employees who raise concerns proliferate. Not only have employers needed to comply with new whistleblower protections included in the Dodd-Frank Act administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the […]
Posted inFrom the Archive
Protecting Data From Inside and Outside Threats
Organizations’ responsibility to secure the data they collect, both from within their operations (say, intellectual property) as well as from customers (such as credit card data) continues to escalate. In part that’s due to consumers’ growing interest in businesses’ use of their personal information. More than half the respondents to a study done last year […]
Posted inInternal Controls
Developing an Effective Approach to Third-Party Due Diligence
Anyone who has a sibling knows that you can get in trouble for the actions of others. For companies, the same principle applies to third-party affiliates. In fact, more than 90 percent of reported Foreign Corrupt Practices Act cases involve third parties, such as sales affiliates and resellers, acting on the company’s behalf, according to […]
Posted inFrom the Archive
Catching and Managing New Data
Just how much data are companies generating these days? Well the numbers are measured in Exabytes, a unit of measurement with 18 zeros. From the dawn of civilization until 2003, humankind generated roughly five exabytes of data. These days, according to Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, we produce five exabytes every two days, and the pace […]
Posted inRisk Management
Info Governance: Crafting an Effective Data Security Policy
How concerned are companies about data breaches? In a recent survey, executives said they worried more about leaks of customer or employee data than natural disasters or investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The survey, conducted last year by Chubb found that corporate executives rank “an electronic security breach of customer or employee data” […]
Posted inFrom the Archive
Looking Ahead to the 2013 Proxy Season
The 2013 proxy season will bring some new twists, with a fresh crop of companies putting executive compensation to a shareholder vote and a group of activists bent on gaining proxy access at several companies. Companies are increasingly reaching out to large investors and working to get a better idea of how shareholders are likely […]
Posted inAnti-Bribery
Fostering a Unified, Ethical, and Global Corporate Culture
Building an ethical corporate culture can be daunting under even the best of circumstances. Add to the mix a workforce located in multiple countries, each with its own culture, language, and legal system, and the challenges are magnified. Yet, companies can’t ignore these obstacles, given the increasingly global economy. In 2011, nearly half (46 percent) […]
Posted inEthics & Culture
Managing Compliance Risks in the Supply Chain
Last week, China-based electronics manufacturer Foxconn, best known as the contract manufacturer of Apple iPhones, admitted that underage “interns” as young as 14 were found working at one its factories. Incidents and allegations of sweatshop-like conditions at Foxconn have caused constant embarrassment for Apple and other electronics companies. Apple is hardly alone in having concerns […]