Privacy & Security Consulting in Calgary
Practical privacy and security guidance for organizations in Calgary — turning requirements into processes and risk into action.
Calgary's business community operates under a privacy framework that sets it apart from most of Canada. Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act — PIPA — is the province's own substantially similar law, replacing PIPEDA as the governing statute for most private-sector organizations in the province. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta oversees compliance and investigates complaints, and Alberta's PIPA carries mandatory breach notification obligations: where there is a real risk of significant harm to an individual, organizations must notify both the Commissioner's office and the affected people. That notification obligation is not optional and not self-assessed at leisure — it requires prompt, documented action.
The reach of federal law doesn't disappear at the provincial border. Federally regulated businesses — banks, telecoms, airlines — remain subject to PIPEDA regardless of where they operate, and personal information that moves across provincial or national boundaries also triggers PIPEDA. Many Calgary organizations, particularly those in energy, financial services, and logistics with national operations, find themselves managing obligations under both frameworks simultaneously.
Privacy Horizon helps Calgary businesses work through this dual-layer structure without overcomplicating it. We start where the risk actually sits: mapping how personal information flows through your operations, identifying which law governs each data type and activity, and translating those obligations into practical controls. Our senior advisors have worked across Alberta's energy, professional services, and technology sectors, and understand the specific pressure points that the OIPC focuses on in investigations. For organizations that need senior privacy expertise without a full-time hire, our Virtual Privacy Officer service provides a dedicated practitioner who can own your privacy program, respond to incidents, and advise your leadership team on an ongoing basis. We also work with Calgary companies on policy development — building documented privacy frameworks that satisfy PIPA's accountability requirements and hold up under scrutiny.
Privacy & security regulation in Calgary
Regulator: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta
Calgary businesses are primarily governed by Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), the province's substantially similar private-sector privacy law, overseen by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta. PIPEDA still applies to federally regulated businesses and to personal information that crosses provincial or national borders.
PIPA (Alberta)Personal Information Protection Act (Alberta)
Alberta's PIPA regulates how private-sector organizations in the province handle personal information, including mandatory breach notification to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta where there is a real risk of significant harm.
PIPEDAPersonal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
PIPEDA is Canada's federal private-sector privacy law. It sets out ten fair information principles governing how organizations collect, use, and disclose personal information in the course of commercial activity. It applies wherever a province has not enacted substantially similar legislation — and, even in provinces that have (Alberta, British Columbia, Québec), it continues to apply to federally regulated businesses such as banks, airlines, and telecommunications, and to personal information that flows across provincial or national borders.
What Privacy Consulting includes
Privacy and security shouldn't slow your business down. Our consulting team helps you convert obligations into repeatable processes and risks into prioritized action plans, with senior guidance you can call on as needed.
Privacy & Security Coaching
Hands-on guidance to build a risk-based roadmap and prioritize what matters.
Policy Development
Practical, compliance-ready policies your team will actually use.
Virtual Privacy Officer (VPO)
Privacy program leadership without a full-time hire.
Virtual CISO (vCISO)
Strategic security leadership, posture reviews, and incident readiness.
M&A Privacy Due Diligence
De-risk transactions with a fast review of data practices and red flags.
Custom Training
Role-relevant privacy and security training for your teams.
Alberta PIPA Compliance for Calgary's Energy and Financial Sectors
Alberta's PIPA governs most private-sector organizations in the province, and the OIPC has enforcement authority that Calgary businesses need to take seriously. Privacy Horizon conducts PIPA gap assessments tailored to how your organization actually collects, uses, and discloses personal information — not generic checklists. We help you build the accountability structures, consent practices, and breach response procedures that satisfy Alberta's requirements and that hold up if a complaint lands on the Commissioner's desk.
Cross-Jurisdictional Privacy Strategy for Alberta-Based Operations
Calgary companies with national operations — common in energy, logistics, and financial services — often need to satisfy both Alberta's PIPA and federal PIPEDA simultaneously. We map exactly where each law applies to your data flows and build a unified compliance approach that doesn't require running duplicate programs. For organizations growing through acquisition or expanding into new markets, our M&A due diligence practice surfaces privacy liabilities early, when they can be addressed at the negotiating table rather than inherited after close.
Other services in Calgary
Privacy Consulting elsewhere
What's Protecting Your Business from the Next Threat?
Don't wait for a breach to expose your vulnerabilities. Let Privacy Horizon secure your data, ensure compliance, and build lasting trust.