Security Magazine logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • MANAGEMENT
  • PHYSICAL
  • CYBER
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • SECTORS
  • EVENTS
  • MEDIA
  • MORE
  • EMAG
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Security Newswire
  • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
  • Leadership Management
  • Enterprise Services
  • Security Education & Training
  • Logical Security
  • Security & Business Resilience
  • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
  • Access Management
  • Fire & Life Safety
  • Identity Management
  • Physical Security
  • Video Surveillance
  • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
  • Cybersecurity News
  • More
  • COLUMNS
  • Cyber Tactics
  • Leadership & Management
  • Security Talk
  • Career Intelligence
  • Leader to Leader
  • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Annual Guarding Report
  • Most Influential People in Security
  • The Security Benchmark Report
  • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
  • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
  • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
  • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
  • Banking/Finance/Insurance
  • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
  • Education: K-12
  • Education: University
  • Government: Federal, State and Local
  • Hospitality & Casinos
  • Hospitals & Medical Centers
  • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
  • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
  • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
  • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
  • Industry Events
  • Webinars
  • Solutions by Sector
  • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Polls
  • Photo Galleries
  • Videos
  • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
  • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
  • MORE
  • Call for Entries
  • Classifieds & Job Listings
  • Continuing Education
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsor Insights
  • Store
  • White Papers
  • EMAG
  • eMagazine
  • This Month's Content
  • Advertise
Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
CybersecurityManagementTechnologies & SolutionsSecurity Enterprise ServicesSecurity Leadership and ManagementLogical SecuritySecurity & Business ResilienceCybersecurity News

Data privacy expectations in 2021: Trends to watch

By Sophie Chase-Borthwick
SEC0719-Privacy-Feat-slide1_900px
December 28, 2020

Everyone is excited to give 2020 the boot. And while we don’t quite know what to expect in 2021, it can’t get any worse. Or can it? As businesses prepare for a new year, with a new set of challenges and new ways of working that may never change, one thing they need to be prioritizing is data privacy. Because if the dominoes fall and privacy is involved, the repercussions can result in a disaster.

The pandemic has reversed attitudes on privacy. Before, both businesses and consumers saw a clear line forward: more privacy. Now, it’s less defined. Contact tracing apps? Pre-pandemic, the idea could have been seen as violating personal privacy. Now? It’s become more acceptable – within guidelines – to track people’s whereabouts and risks. Monitoring employee behaviors online? Before it was a questionable practice that trod a fine line between privacy and corporate necessity. But now, businesses are faced with large remote workforces and many are considering ways to keep an eye on productivity, despite employees’ distaste or resentment. And, as consumers are taking more of an interest in understanding how their data could be used, and within what limitations, there is less surprise or paranoia around legitimate ad targeting and personalized content.

Data privacy has changed rapidly in the last 12 months. It was already arguably the most changeable, fluid and impactful board issue, and also one of the least well-understood. But the changes to the consumer and corporate worlds that we saw in 2020 will have immediate and long lasting echoes in 2021.

In no other area will businesses be required to balance public health, legal obligation, public interest, employee care, personal privacy, and more. Here are a few things that we predict will take precedence next year:

Data ethics will be more important. Consumers are caring less about their data being captured and more about how it is used, especially if it is sensitive data. People are savvier about acceptable uses, and even more willing to object. Consent, selling and sharing will remain definitions of importance and the expectation will be placed on businesses to communicate how they are specifically caring for it – where it is going, who it is going to.

Customers are looking for transparency about how data will be used today, but also how it might be used tomorrow, however hard that might be to advise on.

Privacy protection will need to be continuous and holistic. As we have seen with 2020, changes happen. Workers are more dispersed. Businesses need privacy managed as a single data flow, not siloed by department. Understanding of how data is interacted with and the liabilities it causes needs to go across the entire organization, otherwise, privacy fails. All departments are responsible, from the CEO to IT to HR and all need to be aware of corporate data privacy protection. This will require – without compromise – the cultural change that has been spoken of for the last few years finally manifesting.

Personal circumstances will continue to drive professional changes. Businesses are driven to make changes to the policy when practices directly affect people. A great example is during the pandemic when businesses had to deal with contact tracing. Multiple methods started being used, from internal documents, paper sign-ups, to an array of apps and QR codes, most of which were hurriedly put in place with minimal track record or expertise in data privacy. As a result, many businesses will find they aren’t meeting their data privacy obligations. The next anticipated phase is who is and isn’t vaccinated – information you can’t have unless it is voluntarily provided. Businesses will try to figure out how to protect the company while still protecting workers and the duty of care on both sides will be a priority and a challenge.

Employee monitoring will become a bigger trend. Employees are data subjects too. Securing data and day-to-day operations from remote locations will be a massive focus. But because of the renowned blurring of personal and professional lives, and devices’ role in that, businesses will work out how to be mindful of how they protect their data and track its use or vulnerability, while not inadvertently monitoring employees’ home lives.

Data privacy law enforcement will return to a more punitive attitude. When laws like GDPR came into effect, the focus was on fines. The fear of violating the law was enough to make responsible businesses comply at every turn as much as they were capable. Today, there is even more legislation in play.

Supervisory authorities have largely understood the confusion that multiple legal frameworks cause. They have also been understanding of the degree of work that is required of many to become compliant, perhaps reversing years of naively irresponsible data use. Their policy has often therefore been to support first, punish if necessary. Signs of genuine attempts to be compliant have gone far.

The turmoil of 2020 has extended that generosity. But 2021 is likely to see a return to stricter measures. Businesses can’t have it both ways – they can’t plead naivety when their customers are taking a more profound interest in how their data is being used. The European Data Protection Board has instructed European Supervisory Authorities to increase scrutiny and shorten their patience. 2021 is likely to see more fines, and larger ones.

Data privacy isn’t new, but the attitude shift is. People care more, demand more and the

scale of changes that have occurred in the workplace due to the pandemic make it all the more critical for businesses to keep their eye on the (data) ball across the entire enterprise. This won’t be easy. It requires a cultural shift where the organization leads with privacy at all times. No matter what trends stick in 2021, continuous privacy is going to determine if an organization is safe or not.

KEYWORDS: contact tracing cyber security privacy laws

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Sophie Chase-Borthwick is Director of Data Ethics and Privacy at Calligo. She is responsible for leading its Privacy Practice globally, supporting clients in their ongoing data privacy observance whatever their jurisdiction. Sophie has spent the last 19 years in IT and Security, moving from being a process architect in service management through audit management with the last six years spent as a security specialist, until she found her place in data privacy. During her career, Sophie has worked within some of the largest global enterprises and cloud firms, providing insight into the challenges faced on the customer and supplier side.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Security Leadership and Management
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Cyber Tactics Column
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Logical Security
    By: Charles Denyer
close

1 COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE(S) LEFT

Loader

Already Registered? Sign in now.

Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

Security’s Top 5 – 2024 Year in Review

Security’s Top 5 – 2024 Year in Review

Middle East Escalation, Humanitarian Law and Disinformation – Episode 25

Middle East Escalation, Humanitarian Law and Disinformation – Episode 25

The Money Laundering Machine: Inside the global crime epidemic - Episode 24

The Money Laundering Machine: Inside the global crime epidemic - Episode 24

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Sureview screen
    Sponsored bySureView Systems

    The Evolution of Automation in the Command Center

  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

Popular Stories

Rendered computer with keyboard

16B Login Credentials Exposed in World’s Largest Data Breach

Verizon on phone screen

61M Records Listed for Sale Online, Allegedly Belong to Verizon

Security camera

40,000 IoT Security Cameras Are Exposed Online

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Red spiderweb

From Retail to Insurance, Scattered Spider Changes Targets

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

July 17, 2025

Tech in the Jungle: Leveraging Surveillance, Access Control, and Technology in Unique Environments

What do zebras, school groups and high-tech surveillance have in common? They're all part of a day’s work for the security team at the Toledo Zoo.

August 7, 2025

Threats to the Energy Sector: Implications for Corporate and National Security

The energy sector has found itself in the crosshairs of virtually every bad actor on the global stage.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • SEC0719-Privacy-Feat-slide1_900px

    Three security trends to watch in 2021 and beyond

    See More
  • The Cyber 101 Discussion

    Five cyber threats to watch in 2021

    See More
  • globe- enews

    Cybersecurity Trends To Watch For in 2019

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9780367030407.jpg

    National Security, Personal Privacy and the Law

  • security culture.webp

    Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

  • s and the law.jpg

    Surveillance and the Law: Language, Power and Privacy

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!