How to Keep Your Personal Data Private in a Growing Digital World
There have been concerns over privacy of personal data ever since the internet became more ubiquitous for personal and professional use. These concerns have been on the rise as more high profile data breaches are discovered and reported. As well, companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter battle with governments over data privacy, the time to be concerned seems to be here and now.
Google recently upgraded and began to implement its new privacy policy. This took place despite strong opposition from the European Union and French authorities. The new privacy policy give Google the right to consolidate what it knows about users across all of its services (Google+, YouTube, Picassa, etc), something it had never done before. Google argues that this new policy will provide a "simpler, more intuitive Google experience."
These popular online sites aren't the only digital companies that are under scrutiny for their privacy policies and use of customer data. This spring, it was discovered that Path and Hipster (mobile apps) had been uploading user address books to their servers. Also, Apple and Android phones were also found to be providing access to an owner?s photos, even without permission from the user/owner.
The question has to be raised both in the U.S. and Europe about who actually owns the data. Is it the user and should be safeguarded by the service, to be removed upon an account cancellation. Or is this data that of the application/company to be monetized and used in ways that put individuals at risk for privacy invasions and data theft. Utilizing usb protection is a great way to protect privacy.
Recently it was announced that many advertising networks and leading Internet companies such as AOL, Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo had agreed to implement the Do not Track feature: essentially, it stops websites (and advertising networks) from tracking users. This blocks certain practices used by advertisers, such as personalized advertising.
This move was in line with a White House call for a "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights". The whitepaper suggest that user's online data should have the same set of protections that they should have offline. Fundamentally, the US approach calls for Internet companies and industries to voluntarily adopt regulations with enforcement by a regulatory agency. This hasn't been implemented but it is clear that steps are finally being made to give online data the privacy protections needed in an ever-increasing digital world.
Oliver David writes articles on data security on topics like encrypted flash drive and secure flash drive
Monetized Info 1 of 3 Threats to Security
At a current security conference, 1 from the leading security professionals pointed out his views from the 3 greatest information security risks for the coming year. This professional feels that the rise of large information (e.g., the monetization of user information), ill-conceived regulations and laws and also the prospect of a cyber-war.
The expert's opinions had been as opposed to other specialists who cited issues about cyber criminals, terrorists and hacktivists. In common, all specialists agreed that these individuals or organizations which are taking benefit of technologies to additional their very own company or profit motive threaten the general viability from the Web.
This shift toward taking a look at user information as a commodity is inevitable as affordable information storage increases. Businesses like Apple, Amazon and Google are basing their companies on the prospect of monetizing user information, like pictures, documents, video, search background, buying behavior as well as other on-line activity.
Information is no longer becoming kept separate, but aggregated to ensure that customers may be shown targeted advertisements or directed to customized services. Marketing is only just 1 way information may be collected, aggregated and monetized. Organizations can assess credit-worthiness, evaluate workers or perhaps take the step toward linking with government or other legal information.
The risks to security arise simply because customers need to relinquish manage more than their information. Large Information cares about creating cash from advertisers. IT or user privacy aren't priorities.
Ill-conceived regulations from authorities are the second greatest danger. Legislators are listening to law enforcement officials requests to pass laws that permit eavesdropping to catch cyber-criminals. These types of laws don't make the web much more secure for the vast majority of customers. Companies are manipulating the government to propose problematic laws to be able to additional their company objectives. These businesses are lobbying lawmakers to pass laws that benefit their very own companies, rather than what would possess a universal benefit.
The final threat will be the technological arms race presently going on in between nations. Because the hysteria concerning the prospect of a cyber-war escalates, nations like the Usa, China, Russia and also the United Kingdom are creating defensive and offensive technologies and developing up cyber-military capabilities.
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Oliver David contributes for Data Security Weekly and other blogs on subjects like encrypted flash drive and usb protection.
China Releases Personal Data Protection Recommendations
China has published a draft for new recommendations on personal data protection. The document
"Personal Data Protection Guidelines for Public and Commercial Service Information Systems" was developed by a panel of experts and submitted for review prior to becoming a national standard for the country.
The China Software Testing Center, a government institution that is affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) coordinated the efforts to draft the guidelines and release them for review. The document involved more than 30 various government agencies, organizations and commercial entities.
With the release of the draft guidelines, Ouyang Wu, Deputy Director General for Information Security at MIIT, explained that the current situation for personal data protection in China is "very concerning". Criminal organizations have been exploiting the data they obtain from government and commercial databases for personal gain. China, like other countries has had a spate of high profile data breaches in the past year. This has raised public concern and awareness of the issue.
The draft guidelines provide procedures for the gathering, processing, transmitting and destruction of personal data. Ouyang says that organizations following the guidelines will need to follow eight principles: a clear purpose for data collection, collect the minimum amount of personal data possible, prior notification of the collection to the individual, user consent for collection, strong security, trust and finally, accountability. When the use of a secure flash drive then often times data protection and personal protection are afforded in China.
The guidelines are not mandatory. Currently, there are more than 200 laws and regulations, which touch upon the area of personal data protection. However, there is no comprehensive legal framework governing this area.
In 2009, the revised penal code added a new category of crimes on "selling or illegally provisioning of citizens" personal data. However, the articles do not define what would qualify as criminal activities in this category.
Oliver David writes articles on topics like usb encryption and usb protection.
5 Methods to Avoid Data Loss: a Information Security Checklist
Numerous monetary institutions are creating plans to meet their security requirements in light from the high profile information breaches which have been front and center within the news. Every bank should make their very own personalized strategy, nevertheless you will find some fundamental actions that may be taken to enhance and improve general information danger management.
Based on a study by the Ponemon Institute, criminal information breaches are on the rise, accounting for 31% of breaches in 2010 -- a seven-point improve from 2009. The institute also discovered that the typical organizational price of a information breach climbed to $7.two million in 2010, whilst the price per compromised record averaged $214. General, total breach expenses have grown each year because 2006.
Certainly one of the very first issues that any bank ought to undertake would be to comprehend the information life cycle in the institution and at branches. Taking the time to investigate and determine how monetary information is collected, how it's utilized, how it gets transmitted from 1 place to an additional, how it's stored and lastly how it's destroyed. Following this analysis, it's significantly simpler to determine exactly where the holes or vulnerabilities are within the information chain.
The fundamental rule for managing sensitive monetary information would be to 1st determine in the event you require it, if not, then do not gather it. In the event you do require it, gather what you'll need after which manage and encrypt it. Following you no longer require it, then destroy it securely (whether or not digital, or paper).
Listed here are a couple of suggestions for securing bank information:
1. Protect bank waste. Yes, you do not wish to randomly throw out paper files. It's important to take the additional step of shredding paper files.
2. Identify sensitive information. Make certain supervisors know what kind of information may be utilized by cyber thieves and that they know how you can secure it.
3. Secure the ATM. All as well frequently information hacks are putting unauthorized skimming devices as well as little cameras close to the ATMs to be able to acquire account numbers and pins.
4. Keep an eye out for unattended consumer information. Create a method to verify that consumer information is stored when workers are away from their desks, whether or not that's a policy that it should be locked up when not in use or that computer systems should be turned off when the employee is away from their desk.
5. Finally, wipe clean the memory on difficult drives. Make certain the memory is cleaned on all devices like copiers, computer systems, fax machines as well as mobile devices. Working with encrypted flash drives is a key way to avoid data loss.
The price of complacency is as well high to not take these as well as other actions to become particular monetary information doesn't wind up within the incorrect hands. This really is some thing that no monetary institution can afford in these digital occasions.
Oliver David writes and contributes articles on subject matter like secure usb drive review and usb protection.
Finders Peekers Losers Weepers The Case of Misplaced SmartPhone
Symantec researchers intentionally lost 50 smartphones in New York, Washington, D.C., L . A ., the S . F . Bay Region, and Ottawa, Canada in public locations like elevators, park seats and food courts. The lost devices included corporate and individual information like passwords and e-mail.
Prior to the phones had been left behind, every 1 had been furnished with logging software program to record what files and apps ended up being accessed and GPS tracking switched on to keep track of the device's physical place.
The Symantec researchers discovered inside a current smartphone study. What is even worse, whoever finds it'll most likely snoop about taking a look at pictures, emails as well as other private info, Symantec stated.
Individuals had been most likely to access delicate individual and company information stored on them, like password data files, private pictures and e-mail messages, Although 50% from the finders attempted to send back the devices towards the owners listed within the get in touch with file, they nonetheless succumbed towards the enticement to spy about beforehand, Symantec stated. About 89% from the finders viewed individual information and 83% accessed business-related information stored on lost smartphones, Symantec discovered.
None from the smartphones within the study had any type of password or other security controls enabled to shield the information. About 57% of individuals who discovered the phones viewed personal files named "saved passwords". About 60% checked individual e-mail inboxes and accessed online community tools on the telephone, and 72% opened a folder marked "private pictures."
Thinking about that only half from the devices had been ever returned, customers require to think about that if they ever shed their phones, they would end up exposing all of their info, accounts and company information to strangers. Having usb protection could help secure the data.
Organization need to put a guideline in place to address the best way to wipe data before a device is replaced and to work with their employees to have their old deviceswiped before they are disposed of in the secondary market.
Oliver David writes and contributes articles for Data Security Weekly and other blogs on secure usb drive review.
Fast Response To Information Breaches is Essential to Limiting Expenses
The Oregon Supreme Court dismissed a class action lawsuit against a healthcare enterprise in Oregon. The lawsuit was the outcome from the theft of patient information on backup storage devices that had been stolen from an employee's vehicle in 2005.
Providence House Well being Services took pricey and substantial actions to shield their patients following the theft was found. This fast reaction by the healthcare business shows the significance of taking rapid and prompt actions to shield clients following the discovery of a information breach. The ruling by the state's Supreme Court ends the 6-year legal work by plaintiffs.
About 365000 patients from the business had been affected by the information breach. The thief broke into an employees vehicle and stole the pc disks of info. The information on the disks included patients names addresses and some Social Security info. In only a handful of instances had been the patients private well being info on the stolen disk. The information had not been encrypted but did need a unique system to access. The healthcare business instantly notified affected patients and supplied methods to shield themselves against identity theft.
The business also provided to spend for two years of credit monitoring as well as other associated services if their identity was stolen. Additionally they provided to compensate for any monetary loss that may have come about from identity theft. They produced a website and call center to answer patient's concerns. Soon following the theft was announced a number of people filed a class action lawsuit looking for much more than 73 million. The plaintiffs sought damages for distress suffered once they learned from the theft.
Regardless of Providence's prompt actions in supplying protection and credit monitoring services plaintiffs also sought recovery from the price of credit monitoring services they stated had been separately incurred. Even though numerous Oregon courts decided the case on concerns of law the healthcare provider's fast and thorough response towards the theft was a important element within the effective outcome at every level. When the theft occurred Oregon had no law governing how a custodian of records ought to respond to a theft of info. Getting responded rapidly to get in touch with its patients and arrange for credit protection was in hindsight among the best issues the business could do. A secure flash drive would have helped this situation.And it is a model for other businesses to adhere to.
Oliver David contributes articles for Data Security Weekly and other websites on subjects like usb flash drive reviews and usb encyrption.
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