Whether it’s shoes, real estate, or the latest smartphone, everyone’s always looking for a bargain. A central component of any decision you make to purchase or not purchase a good or service is the cost. It’s a little easier to determine that number when you’re buying (or not buying) a good because it’s generally the sticker price and, barring any lemony outliers, the thing does what you need it to.

The famous French fashionista Coco Chanel once said, “don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.”

For the hiking enthusiast, Colorado has a lot to offer–lots of peaks to climb of varying heights to suit athletes with different skill sets.

The Belgian writer and painter Erik Pevernagie once said that “without a clear-cut vision and a proper reading of the roadmap we may not reach the buoyant shores of the horizon.”

Your customers and potential customers share data with you every day. Whether it’s an email address or more in-depth information like a shipping address or credit card information, they expect you to protect what they share.

Originally published at www.iapp.org In the wake of several major data security breaches and increasing regulatory pressure on companies to protect confidential information, building an effective privacy program is crucial. Privacy practices are rapidly developing in all sectors and industries, and while non-compliance with the numerous industry, state, federal, and international regulations can cut heavily into profit margins, the effects of a data security breach can kill relationships with customers, vendors, and even stakeholders. According to the Federal Trade Commission, an effective privacy program “addresses the privacy risks related to the development and management of new and existing products and services for consumers; and protects the privacy and confidentiality of personal information.”

Identifying changes that must be made is the easy part. Managing those changes successfully—not so simple! Organizations today need to be extraordinary at adapting to or influencing changes in technology, policy, and procedure. Those who adjust well aren’t phased by the fast pace of the market or the constant evolutions in technology and security standards. Those who struggle with change constantly operate in a reactive state, and fail to properly strategize their business moves.

CIOs have a unique vantage point over their organization.  From where they sit, they see efficiencies, pain points, and potential weaknesses across all departments.  This level of visibility is invaluable in today’s intricate, technology-driven, and information-rich business landscape.