Sharing of information have been made easier these days, because of the internet. Social media, mass media, search engines are different methods and avenues of sharing information, but we need to control the kind of information we share. There are so much cyber crimes in the world today, that we need to protect ourselves and not fall victim of these crimes.

So, what is data privacy? According to cloudflare, “Data privacy generally means the ability of a person to determine for themselves when, how, and to what extent personal information about them is shared with or communicated to others. This personal information can be one’s name, location, contact information, or online or real-world behavior”. It is a method of protecting and controlling the kind of information being shared on the internet.

The internet is popularly used these days to search, and because internet usage keeps increasing, so is the importance of data security. Search engines, websites, applications, etc. all request for personal information to login, and use their services. However, some application may go past users’ assumption for data usage and accumulation, than they expected. Some platforms may not also properly safeguard their users’ information and data, which could often lead to a breach.

One may think, why is data security even important? Why do we need to be securing our personal information from these apps and websites? Why do we need to secure our data on the internet? Data privacy is very important because in order for individuals to interact effectively online, they have to feel safe and secured. They must know that their personal data are being protected online. Companies often use data protection practices to show their customers and clients that they can handle their personal information with care.

Personal data can be tampered with in the following ways:

  1. Criminals can use your personal data to tamper with you and hack into your files.
  2. People may sell personal data to other outside parties without the user knowing, which can result in users receiving marketing or advertising they didn’t request for.
  3. Keeping data and sensitive information is important. If your personal information isn’t protected, then it can lead to your information landing in the hands of theft and fraudsters.

Data Privacy vs. Data Security

Companies may use the terms “data privacy” and “data security” together, but they don’t mean the same thing. Data privacy is a branch of data security concerned with the handling of data. It deals with issues such as consent, data collection, and regulatory compliance. It focuses on:

  • The way a data is protected when sharing with third parties.
  • Regulations include GDPR, HIPAA, GLBA, or CCPA.

Data Security focuses on keeping data safe from attacks from hackers. It consists of the methods and actions that protect data from unauthorized access and viruses throughout the data life cycle.

Methods of Data privacy

  1. Encryption: This is a way to hide information by scattering it so that it appears to be random data. Only parties with the encryption key can unscramble the information.
  2. Access control: This ensures that only authorized parties have access to systems and data.
  3. Two-factor authentication: This is one of the most important technologies. It makes it harder for attackers to gain unauthorized access to personal accounts.

Securing your data online is very important if you use the internet regularly. The world is going digital, personal information are being shared regularly, and this means it can be tampered with. Understanding the importance of data security is very important to our digital space.

We are Platview Technologies. We are an innovative and agile cybersecurity company with the goal of safe-guarding businesses with our world-class, industry-leading services and technology solutions. We commit to understanding your business objectives and goals to align a tailored security services and strategy allowing your business to grow without added security risk.