How to Protect the Personal Data That Goes Into Your Digital Business
We live in a world in which it’s difficult to go for more than a couple of days without hearing a news story about data breaches and hacks that expose millions of personal records to cybercriminals. People are looking for ways to protect their information online.
However, it’s essential to understand how to safeguard the personal information that is incorporated into your online business to comply with your legal obligations and safeguard consumers’ privacy. Here are some tips to assist.
1. Identify Personal Data
Personal data, as defined in laws on data protection, refers to any information that can identify an individual or can be used to do so. In today’s digital age this could include anything from emails to biometrics. Many types of information, which are considered to be personal, can be removed when certain conditions are in place. For example when an organization collects various kinds of data about people and they’re all required to state their occupation and location, it’s not considered to be personal data as it can’t be used to identify an individual person.
Many companies are legally required to limit the amount personal information that they collect. This is generally an advantage, as it reduces the chances of the possibility of a data breach. A majority of data protection laws require a higher security level for sensitive personal data than standard personal information. This is due to the fact that it may be more harmful or damaging consequences for data subjects should a breach occur.