IEI Qatar and IBPC celebrates International Data Privacy Day

The Qatar chapter of Institution of Engineers India and Indian Business and Professionals Council hosted a virtual technical webinar “Privacy and Security Implications in the Current Digital Era” as part of International Data Privacy Day celebrations, on January 28. It was attended by more than 100 engineers.
Chief guest Dr Hemant Thakare, IEI president, spoke about the importance of data protection and its challenges.
“Privacy is now considered an absolute fundamental right, the right to be free from intrusions by the state. Fortunately, lawmakers have recognised the importance of having data privacy regulations and the need to hold companies responsible for end-user data. Companies are now required to determine how data privacy acts and laws affect their users. For instance, you must know where the data originated from (country and state), what personally identifiable information it might contain, and its usage methodology. In 2017, the Supreme Court of India declared the right to privacy as a fundamental right protected under the Indian Constitution.” Dr Thakare said.
Dr Abdulla Hamad, an information security expert in Qatar, spoke about security challenges. “Security vulnerabilities coming from within an organization are on the increase and affect the operational risks of any business, and in a time of recession this is not good because it increases running costs, and can lead to loss of reputation for customers, partnership or even shareholders of the company.”
IBPC Qatar President Jaffer Us Sadiq said, “We must act to ensure that technology is designed and developed to serve humankind, and not the other way around. The unpleasant truth is that most people who have access to our personal data do not need it. These digital strangers with legitimate access to our personal data are the very people we should be preventing from accessing our personal information because they do not need it. Data Privacy Day is an important wake-up call for anyone who is ‘on the grid’, meaning, if they use any type of digital device for any reason, they think that using free software and firewalls are keeping their data safe.”
Dr Sriram Birudavolu, CEO – Cyber Security Centre of Excellence – Telangana, Data Security Council of India, made a presentation on “Engage, Innovate & Scale”. He presented information on various security domains, evolving privacy land scape, Chip level security, Data privacy Job roles, and difficulties in digital transformation processes.
The webinar was moderated by Sunil Varkey, vice president of Global Financial Services, Forescout Technologies. Varkey focused on aspects of security challenges and stated that Privacy is the responsibility of every stakeholder, its success and maturity depends on their participation and adherence to compliance.
Ricky Rakesh Jha, CEO, Pricoris Ventures, spoke about data privacy in the digital world. “It is like a door that opens both ways. We can’t just be protective about what comes in, we should be careful about what goes out. Privacy is a state of mind, a personal space and we shouldn’t simply rely on a law for that definition. It has a greater obligation towards society”.
Dr. Suhail Hussain, senior research fellow, National University Singapore, focused on operational technology challenges. He said data protection is essentially amalgamated security and privacy. Data security and privacy is a top concern not only for enterprises and small business, but for everyone who is connected to the internet.
Abdul Sathar, chairman, IEI Qatar, gave his insights into privacy and security implications in the current digital era and reminded everyone on data protection challenges.
Sajeet George, executive member, IEI Qatar, proposed the vote of thanks.