RECENTLY, there has been an awakening. People and organisations are starting to grasp that we are intrinsically connected to everyone and everything. The theory of six degrees of separation is true for all of us. However, it is more serious than that: we are often separated less than six degrees from each other, and in fact it no longer matters.

We are all connected via the Internet and core service providers that support us in our day-to-day lives. This connection drives us to make decisions as both individuals and businesses. You rely on the professional expertise of third parties to advise you on the most appropriate course of action - taking an umbrella to work based on the weather forecast, investing on a stockbroker's advice, or changing your supplier. The bottom line is that we are connected to substantially more people than we realise - which has a big impact on both our personal and professional privacy. More so now than ever, we must scrutinise the role of third parties in our day-to-day lives and operations as we are placing trust in more people than ever before to make our lives and businesses more efficient. But if these third parties abuse our trust, the implications can be far reaching and very difficult to control.

Historically, we did business with people. We provided access to our business, our homes; gave our information to trusted people and organisations, be it cleaners, affiliates, contractors and other service providers. We relied on physical security and safety in knowing who we were dealing with and the outcomes they provided. We contracted with these people on a one-to-one basis to get things completed with the faith that the legal system would support and protect us.