The world’s largest association of privacy professionals honored GMAC for its comprehensive security program supporting the GMAT, the high-stakes admissions test used by graduate business programs worldwide. GMAC’s data protection program incorporates advanced biometric palm vein technology to authenticate test taker identity and prevent proxy test taking. In June, GMAC became the first organization to be authorized by France’s privacy authority, the CNIL, to process such data.
 
“This recognition from the International Association of Privacy Professionals is an exceptional honor,” said Sherri Sampson, GMAC general counsel and chief privacy official, who accepted the award. “As a testing organization, we recognize the importance to test takers of data security and accuracy. Security and data protection are an integral part of everything we do.”

 
Judging for the awards was conducted by a panel of judges representing public and private sector privacy experts from three continents. GMAC won the Small Organization category for fewer than 5,000 employees. The seventh annual awards were presented at the IAPP Privacy Dinner, held in conjunction with the IAPP Privacy Academy 2009 in Boston.
 
"On behalf of more than 6,000 privacy professionals across 50 countries, we salute GMAC for its impressive accomplishments," said IAPP Executive Director Trevor Hughes. "This year's results show privacy can be effectively woven into the fabric of business, society and technology.”