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24 February 2025
Your Data Protection Officer is USELESS—Unless You Fix This
Your DPO is Clueless—And That’s a Disaster Waiting to Happen
By now, every corporate entity registered in Singapore should be aware that, as mandated by the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), they must appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) by 30th September 2024.
Yet, here’s the problem: Most companies have appointed a DPO just to tick a compliance checkbox.
- They have no real knowledge of cybersecurity, data governance, or crisis management.
- They wouldn’t know what to do if a cyberattack, ransomware, or data breach occurred.
- They’re just there for the sake of “having someone in the role.”
And let me tell you—this is a ticking time bomb.
PDPC Audits Are Coming – Don’t Get Caught with Your Pants Down
You think you’re safe because nobody’s looking? Think again.
The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) WILL start conducting random sample audits on companies to check their data hygiene practices—just like how the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) perform surprise audits on financial records.
When that day comes, I can already picture the sheer panic on the faces of these “appointed” DPOs who never took their role seriously. That’s when the real wake-up call happens.
But by then… it might already be too late.
Most Companies FAIL Before Even Qualifying for Cyber Insurance
I’ve personally been engaged by multiple companies to audit their data hygiene practices before they even qualify for cyber insurance. And the results? Embarrassingly bad.
Here’s what I found:
🚨 No Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) – Easy target for hackers.
🚨 No Backups – Or worse, backups that are already corrupted.
🚨 Weak Passwords – Some still use “Password123” or “admin” as login credentials! 🤦♂️
🚨 Shared Databases Across All Departments – Imagine mixing raw food with cooked food in a restaurant. Cross-contamination is inevitable. A data breach waiting to happen!
If your company is operating like this, you’re not just at risk of non-compliance—you’re setting yourself up for a catastrophic cyber event.
Take Action Now, Before You Regret It
Still thinking “it won’t happen to us”? That’s exactly what every company says—until it does.
🚀 Engage cybersecurity professionals to assess your data hygiene.
🚀 Train your DPO properly—this role isn’t just for show.
🚀 Implement real cybersecurity measures before PDPC forces you to.
Because when the audit hits and the breach happens, it’s not just compliance fines you’ll be dealing with—it’s your company’s reputation and survival on the line.
📢 Act NOW before you become the next cautionary tale.
What Can Companies Do Today?
- Guard training outputs and data pipelines: Companies must treat training data and outputs as critical assets, employing digital watermarking and monitoring to detect unauthorized model usage.
- Collaboration with policymakers: Tech leaders should work closely with governments to develop international standards and regulations addressing AI piracy and its impact on innovation.
- Cybersecurity as a proactive investment: The future winners won’t be those who just develop great AI models, but those who can also protect them. Investing in cyber threat intelligence specific to AI models will be a necessity, not a luxury.
Want to Bulletproof Your Business?
If you’re serious about securing your data, reach out to Raven today. We specialize in data hygiene audits, compliance training, and cyber risk management—so you don’t get caught off guard.
🔒 Don’t wait for disaster. Secure your company now.
