Join our newsletter for the inside scoop on Jublia and the events industry
In today’s interconnected world, we are continuously pampered with technology’s seemingly limitless capabilities. Their ability to do this is due to it constantly reading and learning about us and our behavior. Which is great, but with significant progress comes new challenges. One of them is the data security risk which can have serious consequences for both individuals and businesses.
Data security is a critical concern in the events industry, where personal information is collected, stored, and shared. As technology continues to evolve rapidly, the question arises: Will these advancements lead to a higher data security risk in the event industry? This article will explore the question and examine the potential impact of improvements in technology on data security👇
A research by Bizzabo shows 91% of event marketers believe that using data is a critical component of their marketing strategies. The same research also shows that 63% of event organizers are using event data to personalize the attendee experience.
This is the reason behind why events collect massive amounts of data. Freeman describes in their 2018 report that the average event attendee generates 1.5 GB of data per day of digitally created and stored information. Considered currency in this digital age, this data gold mine can have dire consequences when mishandled.
To further understand the true risks of handling sensitive data, take these large-scale data breaches for example: A database leak from Thomson Reuters has exposed 3TB of sensitive customer data in October 2022. Another case we can learn from is the second major data breach Marriott International has faced in 2020 – after their larger data breach in 2018. This data breach caused the leak of 5.2 million sensitive guest data, including their guests' names, contact details, loyalty program account information, and other personal details such as birth dates and gender.
With this, as an industry which collects a large amount of sensitive attendee information in events, these examples show the worst case scenario of what can go wrong. Especially since events are often a big target for hackers considering the detailed information we collect from our large audience pools.
How can we handle this sensitive data that we collect in events and prevent this from possibly happening to us?
General measures and policies are implemented across the events industry to prevent data breaches and misuse of sensitive information. Event organizers know that compliance with current regulations is an integral part of good data security management. It is non-negotiable. Particularly as countries worldwide are tightening their privacy laws with initiatives such as GDPR.
With GDPR in place, attendees have their own data rights. Industry experts from IEEE Meetings, Conferences & Events group (MCE) highlight these attendee rights, including the right to be informed - on the purpose of processing their data, for how long it will be retained and who would have access to it, the right to object, rectify or restrict data processing and even the right to be forgotten, and be entirely removed from the database. Event planners must be aware of these regulations and conform to them (otherwise, there’s a hefty fine! And potentially a lawsuit), and they do. With the right organizers and vendors, your data is in safe hands.
Should attendees want to exercise any of these rights, event organizers need to be able follow the proper course of action. For instance, if there are requests made to be removed from an event database, there should be no problem to do so quickly and easily – Jublia can help with this as we provide a “Delete Your Account” feature for attendees should they want to be removed from the event database, guaranteeing a safer event journey for your attendees.
Other than the existing general policy mentioned above, events usually support it with other efforts. We must also work towards advancing and improving our own policies following the fast-paced advancements in technology. These are some efforts you can try out:
To improve trust, you must ensure that the data you collect from your attendees are absolutely necessary, which means not collecting every single piece of information about each of your attendees but collecting data that would only benefit your attendees and your events. This would not only give peace of mind to your attendees, but also help you declutter data and decrease the risk of data breaches.
You must also ensure that all data transmissions, including registration forms and payment processing, are secured using encryption and other secure protocols. This will help protect against data interception and theft. Aim to work with partners or third party vendors with ISO 27001 certification which emphasizes their reliability - their Information Security Management System is compliant with standards set by the Certification Bodies.
To prevent it even more, you can also restrict and limit data access so that you always know who has access to your event data. You can also implement strong access controls and strong authentication mechanisms to ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive data.
Ultimately, the relationship between technological advancements and data security is complex and multifaceted. While new technologies can introduce new risks, they can also provide new solutions to address those risks. It's up to organizations to stay vigilant and adapt their security strategies to keep pace with the rapidly changing technology landscape.
Most importantly, work hand-in-hand with partners with the same priority for security. All your policies would be for nothing with just one mistake: trusting the wrong people to handle your event data.
The team at Jublia makes sure that we are not just a tech partner that provides solutions to every one of your event needs and goals, but that we are also a partner that can be trusted.
With over a decade of experience in the event tech sphere, we have developed a deep understanding of the security risks and challenges faced by event organizers, and we have built our systems and processes to address these head-ons.
Our ISO 27001 certification shows our commitment to data security and to our partners. It is the internationally recognized gold standard for information security management systems, providing a framework to ensure that our data security practices meet the highest standards of excellence.
Additionally, we conduct regular VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing) to verify that our systems are secure against the latest threats and vulnerabilities. This rigorous testing process helps us identify and address any potential weaknesses in our systems, and ensures that we stay up-to-date with the latest security best practices.
Finally, on top of building data silos between clients’ event platforms, we uphold the utmost respect of privacy for all users. This includes the optional right for each user to remove their presence on the platform and refined controls of the frequency of communications they can receive from us. To top it all off, Jublia will never share contact details of users across digital interactions (e.g. a view or scheduled meeting does not grant a user access to the other party contact information).
At Jublia, the innovation of our solutions and other improvements in our systems are worked on in tandem, such as adapting and adhering to evolving data security requirements.
Not only do we strive to deliver proper data security, but we also want to work with partners with the same vision, who understand its significance and want to make an effort to achieve this vision together.
Looking for an event engagement hub with assured data security? Speak to our Solution Specialists by dropping a message to info@jublia.com or following our LinkedIn to find out more about how we can help.
Fast-Paced Technological Advancements = Increased Data Security Risk?With great (technological) ability, comes great (data security) responsibility
.png){kind=small}