Transferring information to an offshore cloud service can be risky

27 May 2016 - 16:56 By Roxanne Henderson

Google Drive‚ Dropbox‚ Mega‚ Tresorit? Choose your cloud service wisely to avoid finding yourself on the wrong side of the law. This according to John Cato‚ expert on the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act‚ speaking at a cyber crime seminar in Johannesburg on Friday.The Act‚ signed into law in 2013‚ says a company or person may not transfer personal information about a third party to another country‚ if that country does not have laws offering the same levels of protection of personal information as the POPI Act.This means that transferring information to an offshore cloud service which is not subject to laws as strict as South Africa's could place you in violation of the law.According to Cato‚ most cloud services operating in European Union countries are a safe bet under their laws‚ but US-based services are more risky.Cato said that as a cloud user‚ you would have to decide for yourself whether your service is on the safe side‚ but that there are checks you could run to avoid placing yourself at risk.Cloud services should be safe to use if they are:Compliant with the ISO 27018 standard for protection of personal information. This is not a law‚ but rather a best-practice guide cloud service providers may choose to ascribe toOperating in a country that ascribes to European Union guidelines for the protection of personal informationIf you are still unsure consult global law firm DLA Piper's “Protection Laws of the World” guide.Cato warned businesses‚ saying that in failing to comply with the POPI Act they may suffer costly reputational damage...

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.