Security issues key to legal outsourcing will be discussed next month at a conference in India. As western businesses turn to offshore service providers in increasing numbers, Indian trade groups are keen to maintain confidence in their country as a safe destination for foreign data.
With this in mind, leading Indian trade body the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) will reveal their latest protection methods in its 2008 Information Security Summit. Set to take place from 2-3 December at Hyderabad’s Marriott Hotel, the summit – arranged in partnership with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) – promises strategic insights into topics such as:
Contractual, regulatory and legal frameworks for transferring data to India
New approaches for safeguarding customer data
Factors driving the need for information security in India
Key trends in the global threats arena
How products, processes and people fit into the equation
Enterprise data security and privacy practices in Indian industry In addition, a key Day One seminar will ask whether India should strike up safe harbour pacts for data protection with the US and EU. The summit is the last in a series of NASSCOM-DSCI events that have run throughout 2008 to raise awareness of information security. Through this sustained initiative, the partner organisations have focused on bringing together a range of stakeholders involved in data handling, from businesses and law enforcers to consumers and citizens. In particular, the campaign has addressed new technologies – such as wireless networks and Web 2.0 tools – which are growing forces in communications, but may leave companies open to breaches if they are not properly secure.
‘As India emerges as a global outsourcing hub,’ said NASSCOM in a statement, ‘the need for service providers to acquire security certifications, or comply with Government regulations, laws, standards and business practices, is becoming crucial.’ The group added that such compliances are urging service providers ‘to go for security certifications like ISO 27001.’ This award, from the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), recognises efforts made by data-rich companies to structure their systems in order to minimise threats to their information. In September, the ISO awarded a 27001 certificate to leading legal outsourcing provider CPA, assuring the marketplace that the company had met global best practice standards in data security. CPA also received ISO 9001 certification for quality management in its offshore facilities.
Nearing the end of its 20th Anniversary year, NASSCOM is a non-profit group that has emerged as the leading trade body for India’s software, outsourcing and e-commerce industries. As a major free-trade advocate with a strong global presence, its 1,200 members include 250 multinationals based in Japan, China, the EU and the US. In its drive to improve domestic social development, it aims to expand the quality and quantity of India’s talent pool, uphold the IP rights of its members and strengthen the brand value of India as a global sourcing location.
‘India is embracing the world and the world is coming to India,’ it says. ‘Even as Indian organisations expand their businesses to all parts of the globe, the largest of international players are establishing an "offshore" presence in India to tap the great outsourcing opportunity … [which] has emerged as a strong force and growth catalyst.’
http://www.cpaglobal.com/ip-review-online/3175/data_summit_to_air_legal_outsourcing_concerns
