Compliance isn’t only about preventing problems and ensuring that everyone is abiding by laws, rules, and regulations. It’s also about the positive impact a robust and ethical compliance program can have on a business or organization. In this course we will discuss why compliance is important – from the needs facing businesses in highly regulated industries to avoiding fines and penalties to preventing reputational and economic nightmares. We’ll examine real-world examples of compliance and governance failures and their impact, and consider strategies for avoiding similar situations in our own organizations. You’ll be able to think about risk management in new ways and apply strategies to manage it.

Once you have an understanding of what compliance is, and why it may be important, it is natural to wonder next, “What should I do about it?” In this course, we’ll explore one of the key factors for creating a positive culture of compliance: human psychology. We’ll think about what drives us, what makes us pay attention, what distracts, and how all of these pieces help build a strong belief in an organizational culture of compliance. We will examine formal compliance programs, diving into the nuances of how they are applied in practice. We’ll also explore the technologies, workflows, policies, monitoring, and training necessary to create a toolkit for designing an effective compliance program.

What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal information. We will also consider where in the U.S. privacy laws exist and which sectors remain unregulated. Next, we will focus on the federal health privacy law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) – and what it takes to comply with it. How do you know the scope of the requirements? And once you know HIPAA applies, how do you actually put measures in place to ensure compliance? We’ll explore the notion that one cannot have privacy without strong security and examine various models that promote the security of personal information. We’ll look closely at breach notification laws – one of the most significant drivers of change in organizations – and discuss strategies for the improvement of data protection overall. Lastly, we will look at international law, state law, the unique and important role of the Federal Trade Commission in protecting privacy. Most importantly, we get practical – we will discuss real-world, practical approaches to how compliance professionals can navigate the complex landscape of privacy requirements to best protect their organizations.