Regional telecommunications provider C&W Business is expanding its managed service offerings to include consultancy to and preparation of companies to comply with the Data Protection Act (DPA), which takes effect on December 1, 2023.

The company recently urged public and private health-care facilities to become more familiar with the legislation as it relates to patient information during the Telehealth: Caribbean Connected Conference hosted by the International Society for Telemedicine and eHealth at the Iberostar Hotel in St James. However, it has expanded its advocacy for adherence with the DPA to include micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

In fact, C&W Business Communications Manager Deleen Powell, in an interview the Jamaica Observer, revealed that through its subsidiary Flow Business, the telecoms operator has begun to offer managed services to MSMEs which may not have the financial resources to hire a dedicated data protection officer.

“Of course, we know that C&W Business is our enterprise brand, but we also operate Flow Business which caters more to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. We recognise that with the Data Protection Act coming on-stream December 1, there are a lot of companies that are now preparing their systems and just ensuring that they have taken the necessary steps to ensure their compliance with the various tenets of the Act,” she said.

Passed in June 2020, the DPA outlines guidelines for the handling of data in both physical and electronic form. The Act is not limited to the collection, storage, sharing and destruction of only personal information, but also financial information of customers that businesses will collect due to on-boarding of new customers or one-off financial transactions.

While the legislation also speaks to various in-house measures businesses must implement to ensure “that the company is safeguarding customer information”, it also requires them having a data protection officer.

“We recognised not many companies, specifically small businesses, would be able to hire an individual with that dedicated responsibility or they may not have that expertise in-house. The beauty of it, however, is that they have the opportunity to procure that service from our [company because] we offer that service… on a needs basis from our company,” Powell explained.

The communications manager also encouraged MSMEs to contact Flow Busines to ascertain information they will need to prepare for the roll-out of the cybersecurity legislation.

“It may mean doing an audit initially to see what areas may need to be strengthened [and] what processes may need to be changed because, of course, we’re looking at how customer data should be accessed, how it can be shared, and what is and isn’t allowed,” she continued, arguing that “there are many tenets to [the DPA] and we know that ignorance of the law is no excuse”.

Reiterating that businesses can reach out to the telecoms provider for more information in preparation for the DPA, Powell said that C&W Business has a “repository of information related to cybersecurity and the measures that can be taken on our website”. Additionally, the company has hosted workshops and symposia throughout the year while supporting activities and events aimed at educating especially entrepreneurs to better equipped.

During the recently held Telehealth: Caribbean Connected Conference, regional business development partner for C&W Business Carol Robertson urged medical practitioners to acquaint themselves with the DPA as it relates to patient data management.

“The Act stands as a guardian of patient information privacy, integrity, and security, imposing substantial penalties for breaches. It is therefore paramount for health-care professionals to grasp the Act’s intricacies and establish pre-emptive systems before its enforcement in the upcoming three months,” she stated during the event.

Last year C&W Business also hosted a series of workshops with a reformed hacker who is now focused on helping companies avoid falling prey to individuals with nefarious intent.

“The focus for us is not so much on the commercial side of it because we recognise that when businesses are safe they’re better able to provide their goods and services and customers are more willing to spend, and that in and of itself is the best thing for the economy. So it’s more than just about making money; it’s about empowering small businesses,” Powell told the Business Observer.