GDPR-proof, thanks to Dark Fibre and encryption

25 May 2018 was the red-letter day on which the 28 different privacy laws with the European Union were replaced by a single law, namely by the General Data Protection Regulation (the ‘GDPR’, known in the Netherlands as the ‘AVG’). It is both a stricter piece of legislation and one that has been adapted to bring it into line with the digital, online society we live in today.

For private individuals and users (consumers), it means you have greater control over your personal data and over the way in which organisations handle your data. For businesses and other organisations that handle this data, it means stricter data security requirements.

In this blog, we will be telling you about ways in which organisations can comply with these requirements and about how both Dark Fibre and encryption can help you to achieve this.

The GDPR: the consequences for your organisation

We are seeing more and more these days how organisations are having to show that they are ‘in control’ at all times and that they are handling personal data and other confidential information with care. For some time now, a range of certifications has been used to show that an organisation is complying with the relevant security standards. ISO27001 is the best-known standard for businesses and healthcare organisations.

The scope of this type of standards used to be limited to data generation and storage but these days, strict requirements have also been laid down for connectivity and thus for data transmission too. They apply to all organisations who have to deal with personal data but in particular to those organisations that handle very sensitive data, such as healthcare, governmental and financial institutions.

The GDPR is quite separate from these certifications but it has ensured that organisations have now realised that they have to take a really professional approach to data protection. Failing to protect data can lead to data breaches and – in the worst-case scenario – to data abuse. Of course the consumer doesn’t want this to happen but naturally neither does your organisation. This is why you must always be considering security issues, especially because the number of thefts of business information and intellectual property is increasing all the time.

Great connectivity

You want your data to be as secure as possible? Of course you do. Well, then you should start by looking at the entire IT infrastructure. This is because high-quality, stable connections are just as important as secure data storage, especially because these days, data and applications are being increasingly stored outside the in-house office environment, this in turn leading to the ever more frequent transmission of data between separate systems. You also need great connectivity to ensure that your business processes run as smoothly as possible. So, the question is: how do you create such a secure environment?

The answer is: with Dark Fibre, which is unexposed fibre optic cable for which the user has to provide his own equipment and services. It is a separate connection that is not shared with others, which means it is completely under your own management. You yourself have complete control of the connectivity and services that run through this cable. And that’s not all: it’s also easy for you to use encryption to protect Dark Fibre, which means that your data can be sent securely along an encrypted line. This makes Dark Fibre a good deal more secure than shared connections, where you are dependent on a service provider.

What’s more, you can also scale up depending on your own connectivity needs and have access to unlimited bandwidth without having to pay an additional fee for your connection! So it’s a futureproof network! Please read our blog for more details about all Dark Fibre’s features and about the opportunities and benefits Dark Fibre offers your organisation.

Dark Fibre and security

Dark Fibre offers you a major benefit when it comes to issues of data protection and security, because the exposure equipment is under your own management. All the same, there is still a small risk that cybercriminals will attempt to gain access to your systems. But don’t worry: you can minimise the risk of this happening by using encryption to protect your Dark Fibre connection. Encryption is the basic component of data security. Put simply: a method for encoding data. Information is encrypted using an algorithm (a mathematical technique) to make it unreadable. It can only be read again after decryption.

In the case of optical encryption, it is the lowest layer – namely the fibre optic cable itself – that is completely protected. This allows you to send data securely through it, without any additional protection of the overlying services being needed. Optical encryption is the most secure encryption method and offers many advantages over traditional security solutions, for instance that data traffic protection is guaranteed at all times, day or night. In addition, it offers maximum throughput without this affecting the connection’s performance. You can read more about encryption on our website.

Relined Fiber Network

Relied Fiber network is the supplier of Dark Fibre. In partnership with its preferred suppliers, Relined can place at your disposal a nationwide Dark Fibre network in the Netherlands and Germany that is more than 29,000 kilometres in length and that boasts a high-quality fibre optic infrastructure. This network can also be used to access many locations required by clients such as data centres, offices and healthcare institutions.

We would be happy to come forward with potential solutions for you for the setting-up of a scalable, reliable and futureproof network infrastructure for your organisation. When you choose Relined, you are choosing reliability (ISO 27001 certification), flexibility, quality and the knowledge that we deliver on our promises (ISO 9001).

And is encryption necessary or appropriate for your organisation? For example, because you work for a healthcare, government or financial institution? If so, Relined can help you set up your own private Dark Fibre connection and all the associated security aspects. We collaborate with, amongst others, Fujitsu and ADVA they offer the most suitable security solutions for your data and data traffic.