ACS publishes data sharing white paper

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has published a new white paper on protecting personal information while sharing data for government agencies and private businesses.

The new white paper was developed through a series of workshops run by ACS and led by the NSW Government’s Chief Data Scientist and ACS President Dr Ian Oppermann.

It is designed to walk users through various considerations of a data set, including how to manage potential risks, Oppermann said.

“Sharing data continues to be a challenge for many organisations. Not only because of issues of privacy but also how to handle sensitive data, ensuring it is of appropriate quality and understanding the impact of decisions made from insights generated from the data,” he said.

“These challenges also change and evolve across the lifecycle of data, from creation, storage, use, sharing, archiving and destruction. This paper explores how to create reliable and secure ways to share data at each of these stages that will benefit all Australians.”

Oppermann said findings from the workshops will help guide the department’s evolving data-focused digital initiatives covering areas such as smart places, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital identity.

“One of the biggest challenges for data scientists, government policymakers and businesses which collect and use data is finding a balance between the benefits of data sharing without compromising people’s right to privacy,” he said.

“We are working to ensure we have the processes and frameworks in place with this paper critical to guiding us in how we use data, share it safely and drive technical solutions.”

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