When you get down to writing your book one day, you may discover that all of the preceding chapters have been locked by ransomware. You may potentially connect to your online banking system and see a big fat zero balance because a data-stealing Trojan has stolen your credentials. That’s not paranoia, but it’s logical. High-level breaches may and do occur, and avoiding one is getting tougher by the day. Making your electronics, online identity, and activities more secure requires very little work if you want to take pre-emptive steps. Your reputation is incredibly precious. If it is taken, it might jeopardize daily operations and harm your reputation, both personally and professionally.
In this article, we’ll go through data security and data privacy in detail, including why it’s essential, real-world examples, and crucial advice for your company to keep your data secure and private. Data security and data privacy are inextricably linked, yet they are not the same thing.
Considering the differences is essential for a better grasp of how they function and how much they matter to your organization.
What is data privacy?
Data privacy is concerned with how a piece of information—or data—should be handled based on its importance.
It’s why individuals lock their filing cabinets and rent safe deposit boxes from their organizations. However, as our data is digitized and we share more information online, data privacy is increasingly important.
Data privacy extends beyond the personally identifiable information of a company’s workers and customers. It also includes information that helps the firm run, such as exclusive research and development data or financial data that reveals how the business invests its money.
What is data security?
Data security is concerned with gaining access to and safeguarding data from unauthorized users using mediums of encryption, key management, and/or authentication. Data security should always be a priority for all organizations. Data security consists of a collection of rules, various controls, and measures that an organization employs to prevent unauthorized third-party access to digital data, and any purposeful or unpremeditated change, deletion, or disclosure of personal data.
It focuses on defending data against harmful assaults and preventing the misuse of stolen data (data breach or cyber-attack). It encompasses things like access control, encryption, and network security.
Importance of Data Privacy and Security
In today’s digital economy, all fundamental worth of a corporation is heavily weighted on the data gathered from its customers. It means that data is a valuable asset that should be safeguarded and preserved. Companies frequently forget that the personal data of persons processed by them is borrowed merely.
Individuals may stand up for their rights under privacy regulations, such as the right to be forgotten, and in some instances, they can reclaim ownership of their data.
Companies must exhibit transparency by publicly discussing what data they collect, what objectives are, who is now a data processor, etc. to preserve the data and maintain confidence.
Tips for Protecting Your Data Privacy
- Use virus prevention software to protect your computer’s privacy.
- Use strong, one-time passwords or two-factor authentication.
- Be careful of frauds such as phishing and email scams that aim to get personal information such as your account and password details.
- Be wary of requests for personal information through the internet. If anything appears to be shady, it most often is.
- Take caution with who you provide your confidential payment information. Use a reliable payment method, such as a credit card, on a secure site alone, and never send your credit card information to anybody.
- Using Virtual Private Network (VPN), your internet activity is routed through an encrypted virtual tunnel. It hides your IP address and location from websites you visit; it protects you from hackers; and, in certain situations, it allows you to access sites and services that are not available in your country.
Conclusion
To conclude, although data privacy and data security are undoubtedly interlinked, there are various approaches to adequately addressing both. As a refresher, data security is concerned with the technology and methods necessary to prevent hackers from obtaining your personal information, such as national identification numbers, credit cards, and bank accounts.
Data privacy is adhering to relevant laws and regulations within and outside of your sector to guarantee that the data you gather, the methods involved in acquiring it, and what you do with it are all legal.
Both are crucial, so I hope this post has helped steer you on the correct path.
