Privacy budgets up
The most remarkable finding was that 31% of companies said they're planning to increase their 2009 budgets for outside privacy advice, despite the stock market implosion and U.S. recession that unfolded before the survey. Only 13% said they were decreasing their budgets.
How can data protection officers survive the budget scalpels everyone else is facing? One possible answer makes sense: Boardroom executives perhaps no longer view data privacy and security as remote risks that can be put off for a better day. If these dollars are getting sheltered or even augmented, executives must now see privacy as a bottom-line objective with immediate impact on earnings.
Call my lawyer
A second noteworthy trend is the continued dominance of the legal profession at the top of the charts. Of the 684 votes in this category, 72% were cast for law firms, including the top eight vote-getters.