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Survey: The best privacy advisers in 2008

05.12.2008
Which are the best firms at helping organizations navigate the complexities of managing customer and employee information? That's the question I posed last month to over 2,000 people responsible for data protection. This was the third year asking this question (see and ), so we're now able to see some trend lines. I was surprised at the results.

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.