Safeguarding personal data
There's been a lot of noise lately around the security of data and for good reason. The recent data breaches making headline news have caused significant consequences. The protection and the handling of personal information about individuals is paramount. It's triggered a lot of red-flags and necessitating the need to formally assess the handling of personal information practices for individuals and businesses alike.
Safeguarding and managing data, specifically personal information about others is a huge responsibility. It's critical to stay vigilant. Be aware at all times about the kind of personal data you store digitally, where you store it, and what the risks are in storing this data.
Our pragmatic view is while data is extremely valuable, does this value outweigh the potential risk?
- Do you really need to obtain and keep this data?
- What is the value of this data for the business? Be conscious that certain data may include personal information such as that used in data analytics.
- What are the risks associated with collecting this personal data?
- Where is this data being stored?
- Is it being stored by a third party? What risks are associated with this?
- Is there a safer way to store this data?
- How long do you really need this data? It's important to only retain what you absolutely need.
For guidance and governance on this you can also refer to the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) as a starting point. The APP are a framework outlining standards, rights and obligations around the collection, disclosure, and usage of personal data. The 13 privacy principles set out governance and responsibility and provide organisations flexibility to tailor personal information handling practices aligned to business needs.
Image Credit
'Privacy' by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels
'Protection graphic' by The Digital Artist on pixabay
Protecting privacy is key to ensuring human dignity, safety and self-determination.
Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC)