1. John Deutsch Institute: Access to Business Data Access to business data: Is the balance of risks right? Felix Ritchie

2. John Deutsch Institute: Access to Business Data May 2010 Felix Ritchie The contention Access to confidential NSI data is poor because –Incentives don’t encourage it –Limited understanding of risk

3. John Deutsch Institute: Access to Business Data May 2010 Felix Ritchie Incentives Benefits of use –More information available to the public Risks of use –Loss of confidentiality Risks of non-use –Less information circulates Benefit to public Cost to NSI Cost to public

4. John Deutsch Institute: Access to Business Data May 2010 Felix Ritchie Problems with risk assessment Worst-case scenarios Reliance upon theory, not experience Overstatements of impact Silo mentality Fear of the new

5. John Deutsch Institute: Access to Business Data May 2010 Felix Ritchie Risk assessment: way forward? Focus on practical risks Focus on practical impacts Accept non-negligible risk Explicitly multi-dimensional model for risk management

6. John Deutsch Institute: Access to Business Data May 2010 Felix Ritchie Cost & benefits: ways forward? Open approach to risk management Buy-in by NSI clients Explicit acceptance of need to make value judgements about public good

7. John Deutsch Institute: Access to Business Data May 2010 Felix Ritchie Summary: is the balance of risks right? No …probably What’s needed? –NSI: more understanding of the real world –Researchers: more understanding of NSI –Joint acceptance of residual risk