First among equals – Hitachi Consulting first global company to certify under BS 10012:2017

On Friday 23 March 2018, the BSI (British Standards Institution) has certified Hitachi Consulting Corporation, a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd (TSE: 6501), to a new standard of excellence in data protection, privacy and security developed under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Hitachi Consulting becomes one of the first companies in the UK to achieve compliance with the BS 10012:2017 data protection standard for its personal information management system (PIMS) that sits at the heart of its compliance with the GDPR.

“We are immensely proud of this recognition from the one of the world’s leading certification bodies. Our core strategic objective is to continue to explore new business models and solutions that harness the power of data for the benefit of our clients globally. Achieving this high standard for data protection is strong evidence of an embedded culture of compliance and will be a major factor for driving competitive advantage for us and our clients,” said Hicham Abdessamad, CEO of Hitachi Consulting.

“The quality and quantity of secure personal data under our clients’ control is now one of the biggest business issues they face, and we have a unique opportunity to share the story of our own GDPR compliance journey and how clients can learn from our first-hand experience for their competitive advantage,” adds Abdessamad.

For clients of Hitachi Consulting, compliance with this high standard provides reassurance that their data—and their customers’ data—is protected. For example, Hitachi Consulting provides many clients services such as building and managing its clients’ data infrastructure so they can use their data as a strategic asset. Financial services firms and healthcare organisations, among others, rely on Hitachi Consulting to help them use data to improve their customers’ experience while safeguarding privacy.

BS 10012:2017 specifies the requirements for an organization to adopt a PIMS, which provides a framework for maintaining and improving compliance with data protection. BS 10012:2017 was revised last year with the support of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and has attracted significant attention from across all industries and sectors. BSI is now opening the opportunity of certification to the standard to other organisations in the UK and globally.

“The forthcoming GDPR deadline is increasing the focus on compliance and information resilience, therefore organizations must be able to demonstrate that they are committed to safeguarding personal information. Achieving this certification will help Hitachi Consulting to reassure customers and stakeholders that they are taking a best practice approach when acquiring, storing, processing and sharing personal data,” says Maureen Sumner Smith, Chief Operating Officer for EMEA at BSI.

The experiences and practical lessons learned from undertaking this certification process in preparation of the GDPR are captured in my latest book, GDPR Handbook: A Guide to Implementing the EU General Data Protection Regulation, published globally by Kogan Page on 3 June 2018.

Steven Goodman, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Hitachi Consulting Corp. says: “Ardi Kolah helped us demystify and facilitate our compliance with GDPR, and now he has done likewise for readers of his comprehensive, practical, actionable GDPR Handbook.”