Shielding sensitive customer information from prying eyes remains a chronic industry challenge. But as the prevalence of security breaches grows, so do the opportunities for community banks to position themselves as guardians of their customers' personal data through compliance, technology and relationship building. By Katie Kuehner-Hebert Artwork by Noah Camp D ata privacy and security is a hot topic and is only getting hotter. It has implications for everything from regulatory compliance and risk management to a bank's ability to engender trust in its customers. According to a 2022 study by investment and intelligence company MAGNA, 74% of consumers say they highly value data privacy. Respondents also indicated a 23% increase in purchase intent for brands and companies with responsible data practices. For all those reasons and more, it's imperative that community banks position themselves as good stewards of their customers' personal data. And while they can't guarantee there will never be a data breach, they can communicate to customers everything they're doing to minimize incidents and safeguard customer information-and their money-as much as possible. Here are some pointers that community banks should consider about not only current threats but also opportunities, including how they can make the most of strong customer relationships to use data in a way that provides value to both parties. Â independentbanker.org Q 41http://www.independentbanker.org