GEOCLH T FN I NOGL O G Y
BEEFED UP SECURITY information from being accessed and used purely for the benefit of cybercriminals. “Event planners and managers who run physical, virtual and hybrid events often need to manage, record and store valuable personal information about attendees, which highlights the importance of personal data security and information protection measures. As more and more aspects of events are being automated and managed through tech services and solutions, event managers need to be aware of the risks that come with these tools and what safety precautions can be taken to safeguard themselves and the valuable data they are responsible for,” says Flock Eventing Platform in its Virtual Event Data Security Guide.
A couple of years ago, nobody would have thought an event could be hacked, but living through extraordinary times has resulted in extraordinary situations that require extraordinary measures. Meetings understands how cybersecurity and data protection have become important features of event planning and organisation.
TAKING SPECIFIC MEASURES For any event that has an online component – whether it be simply capturing registrations, or your entire eventing experience being a digital one – organisers need to ensure that they can offer their delegates a degree of protection and provide them with peace of mind that their details will only be used for purposes specific to the event.
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or a lot of event planners and coordinators, planning an event during a pandemic has meant that many of these conversations are taking place in an online environment. The planning and execution of face-to-face experiences is already stressful; however, for those who had only ever planned in-person experiences, the sudden transition to digital was complicated – understandable when challenged by a completely new platform with a range of unique technical requirements. This is even more alarming when faced with the possibility that there may be a vulnerability within the hosting platform that allows for it to be accessed by hackers. Often, this results in a malicious attempt to vilify the event with explicit or obscene content. An even more serious risk is the fact that participants’ personal data may be compromised if there are not enough or the right measures in place to prevent this
22 • MEETINGS l JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 www.theplanner.guru
