AvePoint Pledges to Safeguard Student Privacy

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Post Date: 01/21/2015
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As you may have heard in last night’s State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama spoke of his administration’s efforts to strengthen data privacy throughout the United States and build safeguards against potential abuse. He talked specifically about the privacy of families, and especially children. The newly created Student Privacy Pledge is an initiative designed to help protect children’s private information. Developed through a joint effort with the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the pledge is also endorsed by the National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and several other education groups.

As someone who has worked in the privacy space now for many years, I am so pleased to share that AvePoint is a signatory of the Student Privacy Pledge. By signing the pledge, AvePoint has promised to ensure that we safeguard student privacy, and we have agreed to specific commitments regarding the collection, maintenance, and use of student personal information.

As very young children we are taught that we must share with others, but that we should not take something without asking or receiving permission. These are the rules of society, and most of us learn them on the playground, in the classroom, and at home. These rules should also apply to personal information, and nowhere is this more important than with technology companies serving the education space.

Unfortunately, not all organizations are playing by the rules we’ve come to expect. So what is the answer to solving the privacy problem? As alluded to in last night’s address, the Obama administration is planning several legislative proposals for granting industry liability relief on sharing threat information, establishing a national data breach standard, and protecting personal information as well as consumer transactions. Regarding privacy specifically, though, I am not convinced that legislation and regulation alone will solve this problem.

I think that the key lies in a combination of industry self-regulation, legislation, and the power of consumers themselves. We as consumers can self-regulate by choosing not to use a company’s technologies or support its business if it violates regulations and/or stated privacy policies, and if the company continues to circumvent its policies or those of others, our lawmakers should act to provide further consequences. In the meantime, though, the Student Privacy Pledge is a great way to help bring awareness to the very important issue of personal privacy.

Interested in learning more? Be sure to visit the Student Privacy Pledge website today.

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Dana Louise Simberkoff is the Chief Risk, Privacy and Information Security Officer at AvePoint. She is responsible for AvePoint’s privacy, data protection, and security programs. She manages a global team of subject matter experts that provide executive level consulting, research, and analytical support on current and upcoming industry trends, technology, standards, best practices, concepts, and solutions for risk management and compliance. Ms. Simberkoff is responsible for maintaining relationships with executive management and multiple constituencies both internal and external to the corporation, providing guidance on product direction, technology enhancements, customer challenges, and market opportunities. Ms. Simberkoff has led speaking sessions at data privacy and security events around the globe. She was featured in Forbes, writes a monthly column for CMSWire, and was highlighted in the CSO Online list of “12 Amazing Women in Security”. She is a current member of the Women Leading Privacy Advisory Board and a past member of the Education Advisory Board for the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Ms. Simberkoff holds a BA from Dartmouth College and a JD from Suffolk University Law School. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/danalouisesimberkoff/en Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/danalouise

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