The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICAAN) has today announced that it has created the position of Chief Data Protection Officer (CDPO) for its organization, with the role to be taken up by ICAAN’s current Deputy General Counsel, Daniel Halloran.
Mr Halloran will be tasked with overseeing the security of all the personal information ICAAN gathers over the course of its day-to-day operations, in addition to his existing responsibilities as Deputy General Counsel.
According to ICAAN, the move is in alignment with the organization’s data protection and privacy compliance priorities. The CDPO will primarily focus on ICAAN’s organization-level data, while ensuring that ICAAN’s internal data and privacy protocols are compliant and up to date. He will also play the role of an advisor to ICAAN on how to best manage and process personal information collected by the organization.
ICAAN say that the new CDPO position will allow it act with greater responsiveness when faced with global changes to data privacy regulations. To that end, Mr Halloran is expected to work closely with ICAAN’s internal departments to ensure that personal data processing activities adhere to ICAAN’s overall data protection and privacy framework. He will also conduct regular reviews and risk assessments to ensure ICAAN’s actions remain in compliance with applicable laws, regulations and internal policies.
Although the appointment of a CDPO is unchartered territory as far as ICAAN is concerned, it is not an unheard of position. Many organizations that collect and retain personal data also employ a CDPO or a CPO (Chief Privacy Officer).