Overview
Regulatory compliance is an increasingly complex requirement for Canadian businesses. PIPEDA governs how personal information is collected, used, and protected. Healthcare organizations must meet PHIPA. Legal firms have Law Society requirements. Any business handling payment card data has PCI-DSS obligations. And for organizations working with US-based clients, additional frameworks may apply.
The challenge for most SMBs isn't a lack of willingness to comply — it's a lack of clarity on what's actually required and how to document it. Binary Barriers helps Canadian businesses understand their obligations, implement practical controls that address them, and maintain the documentation that auditors and clients expect to see.
We don't sell compliance as a one-time project. Regulatory requirements change, your systems evolve, and new risks emerge. Our approach builds ongoing compliance capability into your IT environment — not a checkbox exercise that becomes outdated six months after it's completed.
What's Included
- PIPEDA and Canadian privacy compliance support
- Risk assessments and gap analysis
- Policy and procedure development
- Audit preparation and documentation
- Vendor and third-party risk management
- Ongoing compliance monitoring and reporting
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Who This Is For
- Healthcare providers, clinics, and life sciences companies with PHIPA obligations
- Law firms and professional services businesses with Law Society and PIPEDA requirements
- Financial services and insurance firms subject to OSFI and data security requirements
- Any business that handles personal information and is subject to PIPEDA or provincial privacy law
- Organizations preparing for a security audit, client due diligence review, or insurance assessment
- Businesses working with enterprise clients who require vendor security questionnaires and controls documentation
Pain Points
Problems This Solves
- "A client sent us a security questionnaire and we don't know how to answer it"
- "We handle patient data and know we need to be PHIPA-compliant but don't know what that means for our IT"
- "Our insurance provider is asking for proof of specific security controls we may not have"
- "We passed an audit three years ago but haven't reviewed anything since"
- "A potential enterprise client wants to see our security documentation before awarding the contract"
Our Approach
How We Deliver It
Compliance Assessment & Gap Analysis
We assess your current IT environment against applicable frameworks — PIPEDA, PHIPA, PCI-DSS, or others — and identify where you're compliant, where there are gaps, and what remediation is needed.
Policy & Procedure Development
We develop the IT policies, acceptable use policies, data handling procedures, and incident response plans that regulators and auditors expect to see — written for your business, not copied from a template.
Technical Controls Implementation
We implement the technical controls required by your compliance obligations: encryption, access controls, audit logging, backup and retention policies, and vulnerability management — all documented and tied to specific requirements.
Vendor & Third-Party Risk
Your compliance posture is only as strong as your vendors'. We help you assess the security practices of your technology vendors and build a vendor risk management process appropriate for your size.
Audit Preparation & Reporting
When an audit or client review is coming, we help you prepare — compiling evidence, producing control summaries, and walking you through what auditors will look for.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PIPEDA and does it apply to us?
PIPEDA (the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act) applies to most private-sector businesses in Canada that collect, use, or disclose personal information in the course of commercial activities. If you have customers, employees, or contractors whose personal data you process, PIPEDA almost certainly applies.
What's the difference between PIPEDA and PHIPA?
PIPEDA is federal privacy legislation covering commercial activities broadly. PHIPA (Personal Health Information Protection Act) is Ontario provincial legislation that applies specifically to custodians of personal health information — healthcare providers, clinics, labs, and related organizations.
Do you help with PCI-DSS compliance?
Yes, at the IT controls level. PCI-DSS has specific technical requirements around network segmentation, access controls, and logging. We implement and document the IT controls required. For formal PCI-DSS certification, we work alongside your qualified security assessor (QSA).
How long does a compliance assessment take?
A typical PIPEDA or PHIPA readiness assessment takes 2–4 weeks, depending on the size and complexity of your environment. You'll have a gap analysis report with prioritized remediation steps at the end.
Can you help us respond to a privacy breach?
Yes. If you've experienced a breach involving personal information, you likely have obligations under PIPEDA to report it to the Privacy Commissioner and notify affected individuals. We help you contain the incident, assess scope, meet notification requirements, and put controls in place to prevent recurrence.
Ready to talk about Compliance & Risk?
No commitment required. We'll listen to your situation and tell you honestly whether we're a fit.