The assignment of key personnel to oversee privacy and security issues is a great way to proactively address problems and maintain consistent practices throughout a product’s lifecycle. For large companies, there might be multiple people whose primary role is to protect privacy and security, including a chief privacy officer and/or chief information security officer, a dedicated privacy group, and specific members of each product team focused on privacy issues. But even two-person startups can benefit by making sure that someone is specifically responsible for thinking about privacy and security issues so that they aren’t ignored until it’s too late.

Failing to recognize your changing privacy and security needs as your company and products evolve can create new risks for your users and your reputation. Instead, use regular assessments to evaluate and update your privacy and security practices. Assessments should take place before a new product is launched and whenever major changes are implemented.

Seeking and accepting advice from outside your company can bring a new perspective to your privacy and security risks, helping you identify and fix potential problems before they impact your users and your business. Consultants and independent researchers can help you identify flaws in your products or your infrastructure and fix them before they lead to a major incident. Work with researchers who responsibly disclose flaws in your product rather than risk a public relations disaster by trying to silence their work.