Evaluating Privacy Enhancing Technologies for Business

Why you might need Privacy Enhancing Technologies

Today I was informed of a data breach whereby a company (I won't say who) had been testing a piece of software and had accidentally used live customer data. Needless to say, the test didn't go so well and the resulting data breach was reported. Testing software is a vital step before the rollout across an organisation is important as this can prevent data breaches, however if using live data caused a data breach, what should you do? This is where PETs can help.

In today's data-driven landscape, safeguarding personal information is paramount. No business wants to pay a fine or deal with law suits. Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs) offer innovative solutions to uphold data protection principles, ensuring compliance with regulations such as the UK GDPR. Understanding these technologies' functionalities and applications is crucial for effective data management.

Understanding Privacy-Enhancing Technologies

PETs encompass a range of technologies designed to minimise personal data usage, maximize data security, and empower individuals. I am not going to list all the types of PETs, suffice to say here are a couple of examples;

Differential Privacy: Introduces 'noise' to datasets, allowing analysis without revealing individual identities.
Synthetic Data: Generates artificial datasets that mirror real data patterns, facilitating analysis without exposing actual personal information.
Homomorphic Encryption: Enables computations on encrypted data, ensuring data remains confidential during processing.

As you can see, if the company I mentioned earlier had used synthetic data instead of real customer data, they would not have been reporting a data breach! These technologies assist organisations in adhering to data protection principles such as privacy by design and by default, as mandated by Article 25 of the UK GDPR.

The Importance of PETs for Data Protection

Privacy Enhancing Technologies are designed to minimize data exposure and enhance user privacy. They enable organisations to process personal data while adhering to privacy laws and reducing the risk of data breaches. For any business leveraging PETs is not just about compliance; it’s also about building trust with customers and stakeholders by demonstrating a commitment to data security.

Key Types of Privacy Enhancing Technologies

There are several types of PETs that organisations should be familiar with:

• Encryption: Converts data into a coded format, making it unreadable without a decryption key.
• Anonymisation: Removes personally identifiable information from datasets, preserving individuals' privacy.
• Pseudonymisation: Replaces private identifiers with fictitious names or identifiers, reducing data linkability.
• Data Masking: Obscures specific data within a database, ensuring that sensitive information is not exposed.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of PETs

When evaluating PETs, DPOs should consider several factors to ensure they meet their organization’s needs. These factors include:

1. Comply with Regulations: Ensure that the PET complies with relevant privacy laws and standards.
2. Identify processing operations: The biggest benefit is likely to come from processes that involve large-scale personal data collection, data sharing or analytics.
3. Evaluate the necessity and proprtionality: If the processing activity is critical, the PET will afford greater protection for your data.
4. Scalability: The technology should be able to scale with your business data needs.
5. Standardisation and robustness: Consider if the PET meets an industry or international standard and is robust enough to meet your auditing benchmark.
6. Integration Capabilities: Assess how well the PET integrates with your existing systems and processes.
7. Usability: The technology should be user-friendly, minimising the learning curve for employees and stakeholders.

   
   

   

Best Practices for Implementing PETs

Implementing PETs requires strategic planning and execution. Here are some best practices:

• Conduct a Risk Assessment: Evaluate potential risks and vulnerabilities before selecting a PET. I recommend completing a DPIA to consider the impact on individuals and mitigating actions that can be taken.
• Involve Stakeholders: Collaborate with IT, legal, data protection and business teams to ensure alignment with organisational goals and objectives.
• Continuous Monitoring: Regularly assess the effectiveness of implemented PETs and make necessary adjustments.

The Future of PETs

The landscape of privacy technology is rapidly evolving. Emerging technologies such as homomorphic encryption and differential privacy offer promising advancements in protecting personal data without sacrificing usability. Organisations should become informed about these innovations to maintain a robust privacy strategy.

Keeping on top of data protection can feel like juggling fire and chainsaws sometimes, especially if you're not technology minded —but that’s where we can help! As qualified data protection professional our job is to make sure your business doesn’t just comply with the UK GDPR but thrives while doing it. In this post, I have dipped into the world of Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs), showing how tools like synthetic data, homomorphic encryption (yes, it is a real technology), and federated learning can help you minimise risk, increase efficiency and maximise privacy.

We are here to guide you through the key questions a business should ask before adopting PETs, how to perform a solid Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), and how to match the right technology to your processing needs. Trust me—getting privacy right is easier than you think with our support, and with the right approach, it can even give you a competitive edge.

Ready to protect your data and your reputation? Let’s talk about how we can help you build a privacy-first strategy without losing your sanity—or your budget!

For more information and advice, get in contact.