Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2020. Read them in this 12th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
By Chris Wayne, CTO, Yahoo Small Business
The world is becoming more regulated, and in 2020, small businesses will do something about it
The implementation of legislation to improve protection of personally identifiable information (PII) will continue to significantly impact e-commerce and e-commerce-adjacent industries. In 2018, the rise of GDPR and CCPA forced companies to comply with strict new rules regarding the collection, storage and use of customer data and has since influenced how companies engage with their customers, the tools they use, and how they use them. This prioritization of privacy is only increasing, and the world is become more regulated because of this nearly universal shift.
As compliance issues and regulations become increasingly important and complex, ‘Do It for Me’ (DIFM) services and applications to help manage GDPR compliance and other privacy laws will become critical to the e-commerce ecosystem. Since GDPR applies to all databases, marketing, sales, HR, and accounting, any way data is stored or processed falls under these strict regulations. Businesses are responsible for how and where their data is stored, and for small businesses or e-commerce companies using third-party software partners, this opens up a host of potential issues—issues that the average small business owner may not even be aware of. With this, small businesses will increasingly turn to partners and managed service providers (MSPs) to handle these complex aspects of their business. Outsourcing to a trusted partner can help small business owners eliminate potential privacy or compliance issues, ultimately enabling them to focus their energy and dedicate their time to managing and growing their businesses.
Small businesses may take this a step further and integrate a managed security service provider (MSSP) to uphold security in their organizations. MSSPs are particularly appealing to small businesses with limited budget, staff, or resources to maintain good cybersecurity practices. For small business owners concerned with their customers’ information and data, internal security at their own organization might get pushed to the backburner. MSSPs can help alleviate some of this pressure and ensure security is upheld.
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About the Author
Chris Wayne is the Chief Technology Officer at Yahoo Small Business, where he oversees engineering, production operations, support and more. Chris joined Yahoo in 2004 as a manager at the HQ Desktop Support, became the chief information officer for Yahoo Small Business in 2015, and the Chief Technology Officer in 2018. He is a certified Data Center Management Professional (CDCMP).
Prior to joining Yahoo, Chris was a combat engineer for the 82nd Airborne Division for the U.S. Army.
