We live in a time where it’s hard to go for more than a couple of days without reading a news report about data breaches and hacks that expose millions of personal details to cybercriminals. People are seeking ways to protect their information online.
It’s crucial to know how to protect personal data in your digital business to fulfill your legal obligations, as well as to safeguard the privacy of your customers. Here are a few tips to assist.
1. Identify Personal Data
Personal data, as defined in the law on data protection, is any information which identifies an individual or can be used to do so. In the digital world that could include a wide range of items ranging from names, email addresses to biometric information. Many kinds of information, which could be considered personal, can be excluded when certain conditions are satisfied. For instance, if an organisation collects data on a variety of individuals and asks them to all state their occupations that isn’t personal information as it cannot be used to identify a single individual.
Many companies are required to limit the amount of personal information they collect, and it’s generally an excellent thing since it can reduce the likelihood of a data breach. Additionally, the majority of laws governing data protection require a higher level of security for sensitive personal data as compared to normal personal data. This is due to the fact that it can have more harmful or damaging impacts on data subjects should a breach occur.