Data Usability

In information security and risk management, the core concept of "Data Usability" is "Availability," which means ensuring authorized users have timely and uninterrupted access to and use of information and associated assets. It is one of the three pillars of information security (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability). According to ISO/IEC 27001, availability is "the property of being accessible and usable upon demand by an authorized entity." For a PIMS (Privacy Information Management System), ensuring the availability of personal data is crucial.

If Taiwanese companies fail to ensure the availability of customer or operational data, it can lead to business interruption and reputational damage. More seriously, if personal data is involved, they face pressure from the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). Under recent amendments, failure to take appropriate security measures leading to a data breach (which includes unavailability) can result in fines of up to NT$15 million for severe cases, along with civil liability. For core supply chain enterprises, such as those in the semiconductor and financial industries, operational continuity and data availability are fundamental market and customer requirements.

Data Usability (Availability) is directly related to several standards: 1. **ISO/IEC 27001:2022**: The international standard for information security management systems. Its Annex A includes numerous controls to ensure availability, such as A.5.30 (ICT readiness for business continuity) and A.8.14 (Redundancy). 2. **ISO/IEC 27701:2019**: As a privacy extension to ISO 27001, it requires applying security controls (including availability) to the protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). 3. **Taiwan's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA)**: Article 27 requires non-governmental agencies to adopt appropriate security measures to prevent personal data from being stolen, altered, damaged, destroyed, or disclosed, ensuring data integrity and availability.

Winners Consulting is Taiwan's first professional management consulting firm to integrate ERM, industrial engineering, technology law, and data science. Led by a founder with a background in preventive law, our team consists of interdisciplinary experts including technology lawyers and ISO Lead Auditors. We assist enterprises in seamlessly integrating standards like ISO 27001/27701 with corporate governance and internal controls. As an industry-academia partner of Taiwan Tech and with practical experience serving major semiconductor companies like TSMC and MediaTek, we ensure your data protection system is not only compliant but also effectively implemented, avoiding redundant structures.