July 2025 Privacy Points

The Office of Privacy and Data protection is thrilled to announce that the Washington Privacy Framework: Building a Foundation for your Privacy Program is now available online.  Previously, we only had a version that was accessible through the state’s learning management system.  Now the training is available on our website, along with all of the resources linked in the training.  This training builds on the Privacy Basics training and is a more focused course for privacy professionals looking to create or mature existing privacy programs.

The Washington Privacy Framework is built on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Privacy Framework and helps agencies create strong privacy programs. This course gives an overview of the framework, explaining its purpose, key functions, and main components. Participants will learn about specific tasks and outputs that align with Washington State's Privacy Principles and gain a deeper understanding of its five core functions: Identify, Govern, Protect, Communicate, and Respond. The course also covers how the framework can be adapted to fit different agency needs and privacy challenges. This training is designed for state employees responsible for privacy, as well as anyone interested in developing or improving a privacy program.

Webinar: Navigating AI Risks Part 2 recording available

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our July OPDP webinar, which built on the concepts discussed in the May 2025 webinar ” Intro to Navigating AI Risks “ (Slide Deck).  Both Chaney Currey and Matt King provided an overview of AI risk assessments, guidance and examples of AI risk level determinations, assessing AI use case value and feasibility, and how to apply a use case scoring tool to help prioritize AI use cases. You can watch the recording or view the slide deck both of which are available on our website.

August webinar: Privacy and the Public Records Act

Join us for our next OPDP Webinar on August 20, 2025, as we dive into privacy and the public records act (PRA).  This webinar will cover some of the basics of the PRA, the context for privacy in the PRA through an exploration of historic case law and exemptions and then get into more details regarding specific privacy considerations of medical data, trends, and other public policy considerations.

The recording and slide deck will be posted online. 

Fall Privacy Primer Workshop

We are happy to announce our fall dates for the next host in-person Privacy Primer Workshop.  The full two-day workshop will take place on Monday, Nov. 3 and Tuesday, Nov. 4.  If you are interested or know someone who is please email privacy@watech.wa.gov to get on the list.

Topics include:

  • Privacy law foundation.
  • Privacy principles.
  • Data classification. 
  • Data life cycle management.
  • Privacy frameworks.
  • Incident response. 
  • Hot topics in privacy.

If you are interested or know someone who is please email privacy@watech.wa.gov to get on the list.

Thanks, and see you next month with more updates!

Katy Ruckle

State Chief Privacy Officer