As part of Data Privacy Day, CSIAC is asking community members to participate in discussions on Privacy topics.

This topic is on the basics of privacy: What is it and why does it matter?

Many people have different definitions of what privacy is and why it matters to them. Please reply to this topic to share your definition and why privacy matters to you.

Topic

[jreadeModerator]

Data Privacy to me is focused on the use and governance of personal data such as ensuring that consumers’ personal information is being collected, shared and used in appropriate ways.

Data Privacy is an important topic because most people are connected to the Internet and use it for everything – searching, purchasing, social interactions, etc. However, not too many people realize the great deal of personal information that is being collected and shared when they use the internet. The data can be stored forever and personal information can be used for both beneficial and unwelcome ways. Information that might seem harmless like the items of your last online purchase or the last restaurant you ate at, can be used to determine your socioeconomic status for example.

In the United States, consumer protection laws are weak or non-existent. This means that many companies and organizations have the ability to monitor their users’ personal behavior and sell the data. This means that it is very important that consumers understand the value of their personal data.

[loktyaParticipant]

In my opinion, Data Privacy is the most important part in cyber security. Did you know that the most targeted sector for data breaches is in the healthcare industry? Breaches in the healthcare industry amount to around 34% of the total number of all disclosed incidents from all other sectors. Why? Because attackers can gain more money if they will steal data like PII and PHI information. PHI information can be sold on the dark web for $334 per record!
How would you feel if all of your personal data like name, DoB, address, SSN, phone number, card info, and your email address was stolen? The worst part is that you cannot easily change your PHI and PII information and you can’t change your DOB at all.
I’m very concern about data privacy. As an individual, I’m checking from time to time haveibeenpwned.com and pastebin.com to make sure at least some of my accounts weren’t compromised or stolen and I actively monitor my credit card accounts, and my credit report for any requests for changes.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  loktya.

[tracertooParticipant]

Privacy of our medical records which are held by many doctors and hospitals is critical. Thousands of medical computers are still running Windows XP. Why? See this article from just last month that reflects that National Health Service has , computers still running windows XP and needs 2 more years to complete the updates. Our data is waiting to be sold to the highest bidder. https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/healthcare/nhs-computers-running-windows-xp/ and here is another article https://www.techrepublic.com/article/its-2019-and-one-third-of-businesses-still-have-active-windows-xp-deployments/

[MRichardParticipant]

I completely agree with you. Personal data should never be faced by vulnerabilities from a cyber attack or breach. The company I work for is HIPPA certified and often works with partners who have access to medical information. We must remain liable for any breaches that occur – if a hack comes through who is at fault? Is it the company? The partner? The organization? We have so many different components where we partner with managed service providers, they use our products, and then they use our software and products on their own clients. In regards to an attack on data, how do we stop these vulnerabilities from occurring and how will we know what areas we must focus more attention on to make improvements so it does not happen again?

[lemonParticipant]

I would like to suggest a few adds to your definition.
I believe it is not only about customer information, but to personal information at all, no matter if you are a consumer or a medical patient, or even if you are registering a website to participate in forum discussions like this one.

It does matter because personal information is sensitive, can be used to illegal purposes and cannot be changed like a leaked password. So the governments all around the world need to place regulations or laws to enforce this protection. As started in Europe with GDPR and it’s getting closer in Brazil with the LGPD.

Everyone should care and we have both sides.
Personal – Only worry because it is your Data.
Organizations – Because you need to obey the law.

[benjet2017Participant]

In my opinion, Data Privacy is one of the trendy topics that Cybersecurity will be seeing coming and coming on the news headlines.
in 2007/2009, The Cloud topics was the having much interest whether to migrate to the cloud or not and how to do with security if shifting into the Cloud.
nowadays, the question of using a Cloud somewhere around the Globe and which CSP to use, in not anymore a current discussion. companies want to use the Cloud as soon as possible with automation, self-service, hi-availability and better compliance with all the security regulations out there.
The current challenge is Data Privacy!
Making customers consume Cloud services with the confidence that their data is being handled safely and in respect to all current regulations, that makes a competitive advantages for a business existence.
Data Privacy is becoming a competitive advantage for business. Customers will trust and become loyal to a brand that promote safety and good standing for data privacy.

• This reply was modified 8 months ago by  benjet2017.

[thiagosombraParticipant]

Data Privacy plays an important at this stage in main activities of industries and sectors. Data is the ground of most of strategic activities and the organization must have in place a governance in order address their strategy and goals. Since data is the core business of most company, the architecture of network must employ cybersecurity tools and be assemble in way that grants the continuity of the activities.

[prasanthiParticipant]

Protecting data is a crucial thing in any organization by following ever-changing technology landscape. Data privacy can be a juggling act in multinational organizations when it comes to fulfilling the needs of the organization and complying with local privacy laws. Ultimately, data privacy boils down to protecting the information held by individuals to prevent others from accessing their personal information. So, considering necessary measures to secure data is highly important.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by  prasanthi.

[ltuckerParticipant]

I agree, protecting Data is some organizations is one of the most important assets an organization can protect.
If data is compromised in these types of organizations, all 3 risks are compromised, (Legal, reputational, and the loss of performing day to day operations)

Multiple firewalls, with the most updated technology, along with the staff that are trained and proficient with the most current tools is a extremely critical. Also, a robust Incident Response Plan must be in place. This plan must have key players that clearly understand their roles.

This should be outlined in the Business Continuity Plan, which should be tested annually.
The organization must have the buy in from senior management, such as the CISO, CIO)

Lawrence Tucker

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by  ltucker.

[kjoyceParticipant]

Data Privacy also relies on educating people on how they need to protect their personal data. The concern over Snapchat’s Snap Map feature last year raised awareness about social media users sharing too much personal information. Social Media users, especially younger people, don’t always consider the full implications of sharing their location and being cautious about accepting friend requests from people they don’t know very well or not at all.

[jfentonParticipant]

In our healthcare system the end-users are our biggest vulnerability. We provide continual education as well as phishing exercises in an effort to reduce risk. There is also increased risk due to IoT devices (bed side medical devices, telemetry and monitors) popping up in healthcare which are typically not as secure as they should be.

[k123Participant]

I was surprised to find out earlier today, that the healthcare industry is the biggest source of hacks today. Healthcare companies need to do a better job of protecting the PII of their clients. The Anthem hack was very disturbing. While they may have handled the damage well, they and others need to do a better job of protecting us. That includes spending more money on security.

[ewfbParticipant]

I too was surprised that Healthcare was the number 1 source of hacks. However, I then thought about a recent experience when a new healthcare provider asked for personal information verbally in a very public forum (which I didn’t provide in that manner). When gaps in employee awareness/knowledge are so public as in this case, those organizations/sectors “advertise” their vulnerabilities and the weaker links will be targeted.

[jchief39Participant]

I have data privacy expectations as citizen, employee, and individual. As a citizen, my expectation is that my data is protected from “unreasonable search and seizure” under the 4th amendment, so that the government has to provide probably cause before they can begin looking around my digital identity. As an employee of my company, I expect that my data is not shared with other employees, that it is protected from theft through hacking by reasonable measures, and that we have it either segmented on the network or encrypted. As an individual, I need to understand that I have a responsibility to exercise due care in how my personal networks are configured, my behavior on the internet (identifying suspect emails and websites), and that I periodically review my digital identify for signs of theft. The trend in the US is for more access to data by the government, with a lower 4th amendment bar, driven by the events of 9/11 and the proliferation of terrorism world-wide. On a personal note, I have reduced my social media presence – the value I receive is not worth the risk.

[aabbParticipant]

Every data-driven organization’s operation, reputation, and litigation risks depends on data. Prioritizing data based on key business needs and proper access authorization is Data Privacy. It matters because sensitive data has to be protected with more security and encryption for confidentiality and consistency. We should care because without proper data a business might face reputational damage and if the privacy of user’s personal information is breached that can bring litigation risks for the business.

[abenyParticipant]

Data Privacy requires you to identify any location with information in you organization that can identify an individual (internal or customer) such as their email address, name, school, preferences, etc.

As it simple as it sounds, this is often a challenging task. If you fail to identify where this resides, how can you ensure its protection ?

GDPR is a EU regulation that is being enforced starting 5/25. This requires any European individual’s information that may exist by a organization (globally) to ensure its identification, protection and ability to wipe on demand! Imagine all the locations data may reside including places known/uknown, internally, externally, on backups, etc. What a challenging task!

Failure to comply will result in a fine of 4% of total revenue or $20M euros!

[gvheesParticipant]

Yes, I agree that GDPR has given us more focus on information security. The right of privacy is one of the most important issues in my opinion.
All organisations more or less handle personal information. If only that of their own employees. That means that all organisations have an obligation to guard the personal information and therefore apply information security.

Physical controls, technical controls and administrative controls should all be applied to protect the PII, but most organisations mainly focus on the technical controls.
In my personal opinion the administrative controls are the least used, because they are more difficult to apply.

I think more specifically the education around privacy could be improved upon. Many organisations are still struggling with the implementation of GDPR and can’t oversee the requirements.
While everyone is looking at and is education on cybersecurity, privacy is getting less attention than it deserves.

[mabisParticipant]

Let me jump in with a positive standpoint towards GDPR: I am German citizen working in Germany related to consultancy around IT security and data protection. GDPR is a major change in paradigm and many organisations are currently struggling with implementing it. Starting from the legislation: hundreds of laws still have to be adjusted to the new regulation and in the government they are missing ressources and skills to get everything done in time. Second the companies: also far from being compliant. Many just recently started their projects and even the once who are already for longer time on their journey they are still missing the one or the other aspect of the new law (complemented by the way through local laws, in the Germany the new BDSG which is specifying points where the GDPR has left intentionally gaps for local authorities and legislation). Nevertheless: the important point is having started the journey.
First time in history IT security becomes obligatory for all organisations in Europe instead of “nice-to-have” in previous times. In relation to the current threat landspace including the exponential growth of IoT-devices I think it is just a starting point to defend against nation-state-actors and cybercriminals.

[JaneParticipant]

Fully agree with you Mabis. Although the European countries are doing some good work to comply, the other countries to which the GDPR complies is not always recognized by the people who need to secure the data. The GDPR does not only apply to Europe but also to any country dealing with Europe and European citizens who may or may not reside in Europe.
But what I have found with legislation and regulation is that it is as strict as the enforcer. If you implement strict legislation but do not enforce the penalty and fine then people will still not care for it thus placing their business needs before the rigorous securing of personal data and remediation of vulnerabilities. A statement like this does not make sense to us but it does to them. It needs a number of event scenarios to pinpoint the actual root of the leaked data because let’s face it, it is not a question of “if” the data has been leaked but when and by whom and that answer is a needle in a haystack…
We need the first organization to hit the news with a GDPR fine before people will take it seriously.

[bsquareParticipant]

Data Privacy to me means the ability of an individual or an organization to decide what data can be shared with a third party especially, sensitive data about an individual or the organization. Protecting individual information that can be used to identify an individual or that relate directly to an individual. I believe it is better to be save than to be sorry in the sense that as an individual, I have the responsibility to shield myself/information from the public face by limiting the information about me that I personally made known to everyone. E.g. social media. A lot of us get carried away when it comes to social media or the internet as a whole. We post information about us that hackers can easily use to trace of damage one without knowing. The rate at which data is being stolen is really alarming.
Data privacy is really important. As individual/organization, there are lots of things which are at risk when it comes to data privacy, the more knowledge you have about it the better you will protect yourself from the risk involve. Nobody wants to face the repercaution or the consequences of having your private data gets in the hands of a wrong person.

[andy84Participant]

Privacy is a privilege that most people don’t think about it until it’s gone, and these days, once your privacy has been compromised there’s no getting it back. I believe personal privacy in a digital age is something that should be taught in schools and better prepare children with the knowledge that what they are posting or signing up for could have repercussions for them down the road. Things like the GDPR are long overdue and a great wake up call to the industry but doesn’t address personal decisions of how one would like their data to be used and what they are OK with or not. What’s lacking today is a single privacy authority that can help people govern their privacy decisions. The daily bombardment of are you OK with sharing this or allowing this for anything you do online could be governed by an authority that controls the specifics of what someone is OK with sharing.

[kjoyceParticipant]

To emphasize andy84’s point, this statement is right out of the regulation, “The protection of natural persons in relation to the processing of personal data is a FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT.”

[scanchariParticipant]

Hello,
Data privacy matters because information is the most important asset for all companies. So, as any other critical asset needs to be managed and protected. Nowadays, most companies try to get as much customers information as possible, information gives a competitive advantage, however, this leads to a responsibility: Data privacy management.

First of all this is important due to regulations that have been created worldwide; besides, most of the latest hacking attacks have targeted data, and finally because an inadequate management of data could lead to a sued or loss of reputation.

[abatamaParticipant]

Data is a collection of facts or items of information which could include identifying information about an individual or entity. These items of information can be personal, thus very sensitive. Individuals or entities have privacy protection under the law to determine what items they would like others to know about them, which people are permitted to know about them and also determine when those people can access that information.
Data is subject to privacy laws and it is the duty of the individuals/organizations who collects, stores and uses such data. Data privacy is therefore the ability of an individual/organization to determine what data in their system can be shared.
The sensitive data collected must be protected from being accessed by unauthorized entities as that could possibly cause damage to their reputation or hardships, in different ways, to the individuals who loose their privacy of information.
It is very necessary and important to secure such data from criminals who want access to the data by attacking, through various means, the systems, networks and data centers that store such data.

[rssbeauParticipant]

I believe that data privacy is crucial, both at organisational level and at a personal level. I always get worried when I get calls from tele-marketers who I never gave my information to. It means that somewhere along the line some company’s systems were compromised and the end-user information leaked. This is also a security concern to individuals as one never knows where this information lands.
It is thus very crucial for organisations to secure their networks, systems and eventually data from prospective criminals.

[rynaParticipant]

Data Privacy are when individuals and organisations are able to control who can access and their information, data, ideas and intellectual property. With a top down approach, the organisation is responsible to ensure that operationally, employees data and customers information are protected through masked data so that it makes it challenging for hackers to unscramble the encrypted information. There also has to be adequate training for employees to take active steps to keep their information safe (ie locking laptops when leaving the work station, different passwords for different LogIns).

[entropyincreaseParticipant]

To me data privacy is the fundamental right of a person, in an increasingly complex digital world, an individuals data is scattered across multiple organization over multiple countries. In such cases the jurisdiction of said individuals data is worldwide, then comes the question, how is this going to be managed ? from a legal perspective? from an ethical perspective? rules drawn in one country prohibiting the sharing of an individuals data may seem perfectly legal in another country, this represents a modern day dilemma for countries, governments, organizations and individuals alike.

[bygditParticipant]

Hi all,
just joined the forum.

I agree with most of comments I read on GDPR:
– thanks to GDPR cybersecurity has became mandatory for all organisations which deal with European citizens’ PII.
– apart from technology related matters, complying with GDPR requires for a strategic approach and a real committment in all company levels. It’s not an easy task, but that’s something that any effective risk management systems ask for, actually.
– fines for being uncompliant might be very high. That’s frightening for any CEO, but it can be decisive for them to go ahead when it comes to evaluates for costs and benefits.
Altogether, that’s pushing companies a lot in concerning about their IT security and allocate money to manage it.

Nevertheless, in a fully-connected world, assuring privacy is not up to organisations only. People have to be involved as well. Until people won’t be fully aware of risks posed by cyberthreats and how to deal with them on a daily basis, they will stay one of the weakest links in the chain.

Unfortunately, that is something GDPR doesn’t really address. Anyway, organisations are still made of people (so far…), and hopefully this can help them developing their cybersecurity awareness as citizens as well.

Privacy authorities are still needed, though. This is too complex a matter for it to stay self-regulated. Luckily, GDPR requires for privacy authorities at both single countries level and European Union as well.

[srobertsParticipant]

There’s an interesting and potentially worrying example evolving in China based on a Social Credit Score. Similar to a Credit Score, this is a score based on your behavior, purchases, marital status etc. and is driven in large part by your online activity.

Maintaining your good social standing brings benefits like renting a car without having to pay a deposit, or getting better loan interest rates. If your behavior is deemed inappropriate, your social credit score goes down and can restrict your options severely. One example is an investigative journalist who published stories on corruption in government found himself unable to book train tickets or flights due to a local social credit score.

This is a worrying example of the way information which we freely ‘give away’ due to our activity and information being stored and shared by companies across the internet, can be used to exert control

[FlockhartParticipant]

#50335 – I only very recently learned about China’s Social Credit Score and find it fascinating. Technology and inter-connectivity seems to have become embedded in the culture. Giving away personal data has become the norm in China and I wonder how this will ultimately translate to the rest of the world.

[KVALENTINEParticipant]

If you haven’t yet watched Black Mirror, Season 3, Episode 1 “Nosedive”, you should! The China Social Credit System and that episode are fascinating!

[positParticipant]

Hi All,
What is it? – I believe that Privacy as an individual is of particular significance when it comes to personally identifiable information (PII) and personal health information (PHI).

Why Does it Matter? – I believe it is the right of an individual to restrict and control the availability of personal information to trusted parties to protect their rights as a citizen, and digital safety against exploitation, victimisation and cybercrime. Furthermore, Governments and organisations who hold personal information should do so only under strict controls and requirements and to inform the owner of that information.

I’m personally keen to ensure combinations of personal information (often used as a starting point of cybercrime during Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) recognisance) such as my full name (including any middle names), addresses and birthdate are not publicly available. Many people seem to freely make these available via social media, and in such cases I further believe social media providers should continue to make available and continuously improve controls and warnings that helps those people understand their potential exposures and options.
Furthermore, I’m especially concerned about the control and management of personal information that can have an immediate impact on an individual. This includes information such as Social Security numbers/Tax File Numbers, health and medical records, financial data, bank account details, credit card numbers, student records and exam results and any records relating to minors to name but a few.

Why Should I Care? – I believe that individual privacy and protection against exploitation, victimisation and cybercrime, because of its loss, should be considered an inalienable right protected at all costs. It’s important to note that privacy, like other human rights (e.g. Basic human rights such as the right to life, the right to liberty and freedom, the right to the pursuit of happiness and the right to live your life free of discrimination) are often only realised to individuals when they are lost.

To provide some context, George Orwell’s Novel, “1984” had some thought-provoking quotes, that are something to think about in Digital Age we live in. The following quotes from his book seem to point toward a digital future bereft of Individual privacy:
• “Big Brother is Watching You.”
• “If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.”

[karinushParticipant]

Today we are living a digital era. With every visit or action we perform on line – we leave behind a difital foot print. The role digital media plays in cultural content, business and social relationships is only growing, and the world as we know it, or our non-virtual reality is fading out.

There are those who benefits from our presence on the Internet. We expose our most intimate information on the social network, but aren’t these networks only meant to sell us advertising? This is one of the reasons behind the European legislation called GDPR.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of online consumers, regard to the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data.
The regulation is an essential step to strengthen citizens’ fundamental rights in the digital age and facilitate business by simplifying rules for companies in the digital market.

The regulation came into force on 24 May 2016 and will apply from 25 May 2018. It is important to know that the law applies to any European organization, but also to organizations outside the continent, as long as they process personal information of European citizens in the context of offering products and services or organizations that monitor their behavior.

Like other regulations of recent years, this also broke out in our lives due to technological changes that caused unique social changes for our generation. In the last decade social networks have influenced us perhaps more than anything else and there seems to be almost complete congruence between what each of us calls “digital life” and “real” life (assuming there is still a gap between them).

The law is coming to action by imposing significant obligation on organizations that process personal information. The goal is to dictate new behaviors to advertisers to comply with rules and maintain user information. Organizations will not only have to secure personal information, but also identify and classify it, frame it, limit usage over an extended period, and justify it’s use.

The justification for the use of personal information requires a legal basis . In terms of enforcement, the GDPR went very far. Beyond the possibility of criminal liability, the GDPR allows imposing heavy administrative fines on violators of up to € 20 million or 4% of the global turnover. In addition, the law allows individuals to claim damages without proof of damage. Thus, a very significant deterrent basis has been created, as noted, for those who do not sit in the European Union.

[famauryParticipant]

Our data now represents not only a couple of numbers or name, but your actual behavior and that is treasure for criminals agents that are hungry to reach you in a way that analyzes so deeply that may direct your steps either online or going to home after a working day, or either personal desires. The proposal of certain systems is to know better about you than either yourself.

[Protect1Participant]

According to a definition I recently read, Data Privacy is the ability an organization or individual has to determine what data in a computer system can be shared with third parties.

More and more, we are losing out capability to control our data and determine what can be shared with 3rd parties. One example of this is due to our growing use of social sites/e-commerce. With social sites & e-commerce, our interests and past purchases are shared between multiple sites as a marketing strategy. While this may not be detrimental to us, it is something that should be considered when the topic of data privacy is brought up.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Protect1.

[jcramer706Participant]

Being a consultant in the healthcare industry which is a prime target for cyber attack, I am particularly concerned with data privacy. Our members rely on us to keep all of their personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI), whether paper or electronic, secure and safe. Data that healthcare companies have can easily result in identity theft if stolen.

Of great concern is the amount of healthcare data that is now transmitted electronically. Health Data Information Exchanges, which are being developed across the nation, are of particular concern and require significant security measures be in place.

[bmaugeri02Participant]

I found this article about data privacy, it has useful tips that can help you keep your data safe!
https://www.itworldcanada.com/article/cyber-security-today-jan-28-2019-data-privacy-day-advice-for-consumers-and-businesses/414552

• This reply was modified 1 year, 5 months ago by  CSIACAdmin. Reason: Edited Link

[bmaugeri02Participant]

I found another article about data privacy that includes one of the more unconventional ways to steal someones identity.E-Ticketing Flaw Exposes Airline Passenger Data to Hackers

[AdeutschmannParticipant]

I believe in the notion that we are all created equal but if private data is not kept private can we truly be equal? Reading these posts it seems the European Union has been the most thoughtful on the subject of data privacy while some would find practices in China less so. Are there other nations out there that other folks on these posts find to be taking an enlightened approach to data privacy?

[palesagerParticipant]

Not only do people fail to realize the potential permanence of their private data collected, but many fail to understand how little facts can be extrapolated to learn a great deal about the person from what that person believes to be unimportant data. I believe it was Target that used purchase tracking to determine not only when women were pregnant, but even in which trimester, and to market accordingly. This provided them with a business advantage, but also was highly personal data that most users would not have willingly shared or anticipated being revealed.

But at the other spectrum, extreme protection of data disallows beneficial information, like a sale on a favorite product, or a recommendation of a service. This is a complicated issue, but it seems essential that a better informed consumer become a more active participant.

[nguy0780Participant]

To me, data privacy is right, in which individuals have to their information. I think more broadly it is no different than an individuals right to privacy, this takes it a different level of detail to call out an emerging space where data is shared more aggressively and on a broader scale.

[JenniferLamParticipant]

It is important to protect our data from any external damage. Cloud needs to be secure and safe if you are depending on it. It is very important to make sure that the services that you are taking are efficient and secure. If you are looking for data security then read more about it here for more idea.

[Haritan96Participant]

Data Privacy has developed a growing importance across all industries as the definition of personal information has broadened in scope in recent years. Types of organizations that must comply, right of individuals to control their associated personal data, and penalties for non-compliance has also expanded requiring organizations to reassess their control environment.

We first saw this trend take shape with the implementation of GDPR on May 25, 2018. The regulation imposed new obligations for controllers and processors of personal data, placing a greater emphasis on accountability and documentation requirements. The regulation applies to industries spanning from finance/insurance to healthcare and accounts for geographical areas that handle EU personal data. GDPR lead the way for the development of CCPA, which goes into effect on January 1, 2020 and applies to all companies that process the personal data of California residents and exceed established thresholds around revenue and personal information collected. The act also confirms California residents rights around access, erasure, portability and opt-out. GDPR and CCPA have forced companies to redesign the way they collect, process, share and retain data. We’re also able to predict that states across the nation will enforce similar acts which will cause all US business to reevaluate their privacy programs.

Data Privacy is a significant aspect of Cybersecurity to prevent unauthorized physical and logical access of personal information. Current and future regulations require all individuals to remain diligent in regards to the protection of personal data. However, regulations also provide applicable organizations an opportunity to enhance their privacy programs and create a competitive advantage.

One thing to note among all regulations is the focus on the different personal data attributes that can be leveraged to make an informed decision about someone’s personal profile. This is integral in the wake of numerous cyber events that resulted in sensitive data loss, impact on brand reputation and personal privacy breach. With the increased regulatory focus on personal information, it is important that both organizations that request our data and own the data ensure the necessary safeguards are in place to protect our personal information.

[martinellivictorParticipant]

The “Privacy” of the data does not exist if there is no data protection. Enhancing the controls of cybersecurity so privacy can exist in fact has become a matter of survival for virtually every business in this digital era.

In addition to a matter of market survival due to consumer demand for privacy of their information, laws and regulations are increasingly tight.

In Brazil, we are adapting to legal requirements, very similar to those of GDPR in the European Union. Failure to comply with data protection requirements for maintaining Privacy is no longer an option.

[ja5225ckParticipant]

Privacy is an evolving and expanding term, and an immense topic. I focus here on data privacy, my thoughts greatly influenced by a keynote talk I recently heard by Dr Anita L Allen’s (JD PhD, University of Pennsylvania) at “Privacy, Power and Ethics” Conference at Seton Hall Law School.

What is it, and Why does it matter? Rights of privacy and to data protection are demanded by human dignity. Privacy relates to freedom of choice affecting personal life, home, family and communications. Human Dignity requires that people be treated as ends in themselves, not simply as means, tools or instrument of other’s aims. Respect for dignity in this sense is at the very foundation of human rights and justice.

Why I care: We must be both intentional about the design and use of technologies; and creative in leveraging technology for human good. We must exercise great caution and wisdom when we discover and exploit some surveillance or secrecy technique, even though it may have great benefit in limited use cases, and seek consent and apply accountability norms. Privacy Ethics cannot entirely escape the dynamics of politics and power, and innovations in technology must not be achieved at the cost of the integrity of values. Government, the business sector and individuals must see themselves as partners not opponents to responsible progress towards good.

[cyber2019Participant]

Data privacy is essentially determining how a piece of information or data should be managed based on its relevance and importance or sensitivity. So while there are certain types of data that can be freely shared with others, websites etc., there are other pieces of information that should be kept hidden from all actors or only shared in certain scenarios where the recipient of the information has been adequately vetted. Data privacy is applied to securing personal identifiable information, and personal health information…such as SSNs, financial info, and even full names or personal addresses or dates of birth. The reason why data privacy is so critical now to ensuring strong cybersecurity is because as more and more of our information goes online, it can end up in the wrong hands and significant corporate and personal damage can occur. This can be financial, reputational, and other types of negative repercussions that can take days, months to recover from, or in some cases can be irreparable such as if a nation state were to misuse data or if a business’ product manufacturing processes get disrupted.

[deepak1.mishra@gmail.comParticipant]

Computers are ubiquitous, and no facet of our lives remains untouched by them. We are required to fill in our personal information almost everywhere, which is eventually fed into a computer and stored there. Whether it is our office, doctor’s clinic, hospital, online shopping, we leave a trail of personal data on computer systems all over. This data, if it gets into the wrong hands, can be potentially devastating for you. Hence, there is a need to protect and preserve your data from being accessed by an unrelated person.
Privacy of information is extremely important in this digital age where everything is interconnected and can be accessed and used easily. The possibilities of our private information being extremely vulnerable are very real, which is why we require data privacy. We can describe the concept as:

Data privacy, also known as information privacy, is the necessity to preserve and protect any personal information, collected by any organization, from being accessed by a third party. It is a part of Information Technology that helps an individual or an organization determine what data within a system can be shared with others and which should be restricted.

Data Privacy is a must since Personal data is used to make very important decisions in our lives. Personal data can be used to affect our reputations, and it can be used to influence our decisions and shape our behavior. It can be used as a tool to exercise control over us. And in the wrong hands, personal data can be used to cause us great harm

[Anonymous]

What is data privacy – It is about the data ownership and having control over that personal data in all aspects who is authorized to access, who is authorized to store etc.

Why it matters – The personal data have large implications to individuals if it gets into wrong hands such as birth date,SSN,credit card etc.

Why should I care – The sensitive data can cause serious problems to all aspects of human life – financial, social , legal if it gets into the wrong hands. Imagine stuck in a remote country while traveling when credit card company suspends credit card due to hacking. It is very painful to get thru day-to-day life what is taken granted.

[meerkatParticipant]

Why it matters – The personal data have large implications to individuals if it gets into wrong hands such as birth date,SSN,credit card etc.

Why should I care – The sensitive data can cause serious problems to all aspects of human life – financial, social , legal if it gets into the wrong hands. Imagine stuck in a remote country while traveling when credit card company suspends credit card due to hacking. It is very painful to get thru day-to-day life what is taken granted.

[ComplianceParticipant]

Data Privacy is a human right. The person producing the data, should be considered as the owner of his/her data. If such data can be of value to others, the person which owns the data, should know.

The concept of international responsibility for legal violation (USA’s Foreign Corrupt Practice Act) has arrived in Europe. The GDPR has worldwide impact because

i) it defines trustable nations states and nations states wich don’t have sufficient data privacy protection (third countries).
Transferring any PII to third countries require more efforts;

ii) companies addressing residents in the European Union are subject to Europeans laws and can be subject to fines up to 4‰ of the global turnover.

• This reply was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by  Compliance.

[teeker34Participant]

In order to protect the privacy of customers data many times the data is de-identified and used for offline processing to enhance usability or gain insights into macro trends for business intelligence. Given that sophisticated hackers can sometimes take de-identified data and correlate to other pieces of information what is the best practice for de-identifyiong data?
Thank you in advance for your help.

[Business_AnalystParticipant]

In my opinion, “Data Privacy” pertains to the collection, protection, sharing and usage of user data. It is about responsibly protecting user shared data, use it only for the purpose user shared it for and not share it with any third party without explicit consent from the user. It relates more to ethical use of user data. Privacy also means sharing user data with people who must see it to provide the services intended on the site and handle it responsibly. Data privacy and protection go hand in hand.

[newatthisParticipant]

Is “Data” privacy “Information” privacy? In today’s world we have become accustomed to accessing online, purchasing, making a few clicks and moving on to next without giving much thought to the totality of the information collected and how it will be used, directly or indirectly. However, for many reasons, we have become more accepting of it, being the feeling that it is the cost of convenience or the feeling that “it will not happen to us.”

[sk714Participant]

There are so many interesting information at Internet. Google Search takes us to the unfamiliar sites where they post those “looks interesting” articles and if we want to read them, the sites ask us to register in the middle of reading. How many of us can stop there and think of our privacy? The convenience and the speed to access the information come before the privacy in our life. As a result we are accepting a risk by thinking that a bad thing only happens to the unlucky people.

[pjgibson111Participant]

Data privacy is critical to business operation integrity. Customers/clients both internal and external expect their data to be protected. Whilst all jurisdictions have regulatory and compliance controls and deterrents/punishment for not protecting data it is the reputational damage and failure to the customer/client that should drive greater data protection.

[basirah noorParticipant]

Data Privacy-What it is?
I believe it deals with the ability that an individual has to decide what data they want to be shared with third parties in a computer system or a cyber space.
Why does it matter?
When data that should be kept private gets in the wrong hands, bad things can happen. How would you feel if all of your personal data like Date of Birth, address, phone number, card info, and your email address was stolen? The worst thing is that you cannot easily change your Personal identifiable information. It seems to be very harmless thing but in actual it is not. Even a breach of one’s personal phone number can even cause headaches for him.
Why should I care?
The sensitive data can cause serious problems to all aspects of human life especially if financial credentials gets into the wrong hands. Just imagine you need to pay your bills but your debit/credit card is blocked by the bank because of the anonymous activity that you reported recently.

[ahmedkamaltahirParticipant]

When it comes to privacy on the internet, the safest approach is to cut your Ethernet cable or power down your device. But, because you can’t really do that and remain somewhat productive, you need other options. Here are 10 reasons why privacy matters.
1. Limit on Power
2. Respect for Individuals
3. Reputation Management
4. Maintaining Appropriate Social Boundaries
5. Trust
6. Control Over One’s Life
7. Freedom of Thought and Speech
8. Freedom of Social and Political Activities
9. Ability to Change and Have Second Chances
10. Not Having to Explain or Justify Oneself

[cclassen@2u.comParticipant]

Data Privacy is the most important part in cyber security in this ever changing connected world.

Most data or network breaches occur within the health sector due to in-proper setup and configuration of the networking devices.

Data privacy should be taken more seriously especially by companies who manage and process PII about people

[acheakofiParticipant]

Our cyber footprints are monitored and recorded for so many reasons. As such any organization that interacts predominantly on the cyber space and also by networked systems must undertake serious measures to safeguard data privacy and business operations. Hackers on the cyber space creates havoc to business operations and infrastructure when these hackers manage to gain access to business data on operations. Therefor, it imperative businesses to learn how to defend its data and operations on the cyber landscape and networked systems.

[Celer et AudaxParticipant]

Data can now be both monetised and indeed weaponized. To protect it from unwanted access and distribution society needs to better value private data. If we understood the ‘cost’ of our personal information I suspect we’d look after it a whole lot better!

[peportugalParticipant]

I agree, the capacity of collecting, analysing and exploit data are almost infinite. the strategy of anonymization needs to be enhanced, as a machine can easily relate and find the person concerned. There are many studies in this regard and Europe is very concerned about this. if you consider that some social media have more than 5000 personal attributes of billion of people… it is easy to imagine that with some information it is easy to match and identify each person…. scary but true more and more every day…. and we are not in the quanton computing…

[acheakofiParticipant]

There are various forms of footprints we leave on the cyber landscape. Name, date of birth, social security numbers, residential addresses, medical records etc. It is therefore paramount for individuals and organizations to protect the data that is processed on the cyber space. Data privacy is securing data through cyber security protocols, visibility and cyber management so as prevent an unauthorized person or hackers to gain access to data that are stored or processed on the cyber space. Hackers can use stolen data to create havoc on business operations and also sell them on dark web.The cyber space and all the activities that are performed there are valuable to any organization, customer or an individual. The havoc created by hackers to organizations is very devastating. It cost an organization a financial burden, tank the reputation of an organisation and also slow or halts business operations which can cost any organisation its revenue. That said, it is imperative to be careful whilst using the cyber space and being also vigilant on the evolving hackers on the cyber space.

[peportugalParticipant]

The common approach for the data privacy topic is “I have nothing to hide”. This is a valid argument and cannot be beaten is someone consider that have nothing to wide and the ethics of his/her life are fully in line with the established rules.
However the matter is not about hiding, it is about protecting! What is your life you wish to protect, what you do not wish to b public or to share? this is the real question.
Also, this question will have an impact on the consequences if the information will be shared that it is not supposed to, what may happen with “you” and others that the information may relate to…

[Curious20@Participant]

Data privacy is integrally linked with cybersecurity. Protecting the perimeter of the house as well as the contents. Protecting data through use, notice, sharing, risk assessments, benchmarking, data governance, etc. are foundational. Combine those protections with security monitoring, controls, etc.to manage data in this information age.

[LMG2020Participant]

One use case of data privacy is to give consumers of products more control over their own data. Just as you would ask permission to use something that belonged to a friend, the concept is recognized in new digital standards. One example of this is for mobile app developers who use your phone’s location as a core function of their app like a ride sharing app, as an example. If a user needs a ride, then the driver needs to know where you are. This is an example of tracking one’s phone location. However, this is a basic example. There are apps that track location 24/7 and it may be unclear to the user why they are doing this.

Data privacy matters because like a good friend, there should be clear permission to track a phone’s location before using or tracking said information. There should be prominent disclosure of such activity so consumers are informed in advance and it’s easy for the user to grant or deny such an action. The alternative is we risk our right to privacy and once one gives such data without knowing or understanding, this could lead to confusion and uncertainty which is not a transparent way to service your users; potentially impacting brand reputation.

You should care because once organizations build systems that operate on the assumption that a users phone will be tracked all the time, what happens if this information gets into the wrong hands? It could represent a safety issue. Moreover, why should an organization be given such access without asking for permission first or be give the right to opt-out?

[G5271Participant]

To me data privacy goes beyond the standard PII of first name and last name along with one or more of the following: (i) Social Security number, (ii) driver’s license number or state-issued ID card number, (iii) account number, credit card number or debit card number combined with any security code, access code, or PIN.

What about email, shopping history, EZ-Pass information, exercise records from my iPhone, etc. For me, data privacy includes information that an individual or entity expects to remain private.

If I have nothing to hide, then why should I care? I think Bruce Schneier summed it up nicely when he said, “…is that they accept the premise that privacy is about hiding a wrong. It’s not. Privacy is an inherent human right, and a requirement for maintaining the human condition with dignity and respect.”

Privacy is protection – protection from wrongdoers and absolute power alike.

[v2132149Participant]

Data privacy deals with an ability for individual(s) or organization(s) to be able to decide what data can be shared to others.
It matters because information can be used against them, for example individual’s private information can used by threat actor to launch identity theft. For an organization, it could mean employee data or customer data can be used by threat actor to launch spear-phishing attack or identity theft or even sell the information.
One of the best way to have data privacy for all is to preserve confidentiality, using strong ciphers to encrypt data in transit and at rest, making sure to keep the private keys safe away from where the data is stored. If dealing with public cloud, the key management service must be outside cloud dealing with data that is classified as sensitive PII and following principle of least privilege for people who need access to such data.

[Curious20@Participant]

Data privacy involves the protection of personal data. This protection could include providing choice and controls to the individual as well as notice of how their data is collected and used. Data privacy within organizations should be fundamental especially when we share and they collect personal information through social media, games, etc.

[hjsqParticipant]

Data is one of the company’s major assets. With the growth of the digital economy, companies see tremendous interest in data storage, distribution, and usage. Companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon have built empires over the data economy. Transparency of how companies seek permission, uphold their privacy policy, and handle their gathered data is essential to establishing confidence and transparency with consumers and stakeholders who demand privacy. Most businesses have discovered difficult the value of protection by well-reported data breaches. Rather, staff will be routinely educated on data management to consider the mechanisms and practices required to maintain effective data storage, distribution, and usage as part of a computer security portfolio. And as further legislation on data security increases globally, global standards and expectations will often broaden and shift. The one constant, however, is adequate data protection: it is the best way to ensure that companies comply with the law and guarantee data privacy.

[assuredgrcParticipant]

Sharing information on the internet is great until you lose access to your data or some third party user gains more control over the information you share only with limited people. Data privacy is the very requirement of this modern-day tech-savvy future.

To protect our data from being exposed to parties whose motives are less benign, we must align our online presence with data privacy norms and policies via a reliable data protection consultancy.

To ensure your online presence, and that of your company, isn’t tarnished – you can aspire to inspire without worrying about your data – with Assured Governance, Risk and Compliance service.

[Author]

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