Every time you use a website, make a purchase or download an app, you leave behind a trail of personal data that could be used to target ads or compromise your security. This is why data privacy is so important – protecting your personal information gives you control and a sense of agency in the digital world.
The average organization collects a massive amount of consumer data and has a responsibility to protect it. This isn’t out of the goodness of their hearts, but because it’s the right thing to do — and it can also help them with regulatory compliance, security posture and competitive advantage.
There are a variety of ways to protect your data, from simple steps like ensuring only those with essential need-to-know access can see it to more robust protections such as encrypting data in transit and at rest. In addition, a good practice is to regularly delete digital and physical copies of data you don’t need.
In a business context, companies are responsible for managing the integrity and rightsful access of their own data. They must operationalize data protection controls in their systems, place privacy at the forefront of new technology decisions, promote a culture of privacy literacy and resist financial pressures to implement untested technologies. To do so, they need to understand the latest technology trends and approaches — and what it takes to protect data at all levels. This article examines the latest in data protection tools, challenges and technologies to help businesses stay ahead of evolving threats.
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