Data Privacy

Are you doing the best job possible to manage your users' privacy? Yes, your data is likely secure but privacy is another matter. The dangers to data privacy often are more likely to come from your authorized users -- employees, vendors, etc. This week's articles look at data privacy and discuss what we should be doing to maintain that privacy.

The difference between security and privacy is critical, and it's when we confuse them that we reveal more information than we intended. (Item #1) The collection and manipulation of Big Data can result in real-world benefits, but it also can lead to big privacy problems. (Item #2) Here are some key areas where planners need to be concerned with private and personally identifiable information when creating, updating, and testing disaster recovery plans. (Item #3)

In the digital economy, our personal information is the New Money to pay for services. (Item #4) With organizations collecting increasing amounts of data, customers and the governments that represent them have evolving expectations about the transparency surrounding data collection, and the laws that govern the usage and reporting of it. (Item #5) Companies are increasing technology investments to protect against external data breaches, but employees pose a bigger threat than hackers. (Item #6)

As always, I look forward to hearing about your concerns with regard to business continuity. If there are any topics that you'd like to see covered, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. It's Not Security that Should Worry You. It's Data Privacy.

Security and privacy are not interchangeable, and we must have both in order to protect our data and to live up to our obligations as data stewards. So, what's the difference between the two? It's an important one.
http://www.druva.com/blog/security-worry-data-privacy/

2. The five worst Big Data privacy risks (and how to guard against them)

There are enormous benefits from Big Data analytics, but also massive potential for exposure that could result in anything from embarrassment to outright discrimination. And so far, while there have been multiple expressions of concern from privacy advocates and government, there has been little to update privacy protections in the online, always connected world. Here's what to look out for - and how to protect yourself and your employees.
http://www.csoonline.com/article/2855641/big-data-security/the-5-worst-big-data-privacy-risks-and-how-to-guard-against-them.html

3. Addressing Privacy Issues during Disaster Recovery

Businesses possess a staggering amount of private and personally identifiable information (PII), not only about their customers, but also about their employees. Under which circumstances and representations was this information collected? How is this information being used? To whom is this information being transmitted? How is this information being stored? Who has access, authorized or not, to this information? Unfortunately, many, if not most, businesses do not know the answers to these questions even under normal business circumstances.
http://www.disaster-resource.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4%3Aaddressing-privacy-issues-during-disaster-recovery&catid=6%3Ainformation-technology&Itemid=12

4. Privacy Is the New Money, Thanks To Big Data

Beginning with the Snowden revelations, it is widely thought that the major threat to our privacy in the digital era comes from the power of Big Government to access personal information stored in devices and websites. As this debate rages, we are losing sight of the other enterprise of personal data collection --- known as "Big Data" --- which is subject to less popular interest, but is far grander in scope, involves higher stakes and numerous ongoing legal battles.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/omribenshahar/2016/04/01/privacy-is-the-new-money-thanks-to-big-data/

5. Managing the new risk landscape of customer identity management

Today most enterprises are global, but regional and national data laws -- including those that define where consumer data must be stored and processed -- vary widely. While this makes it increasingly tricky to serve international customer bases, businesses don't want to give up on these massive audience segments. Yet they are increasingly being forced to adapt and, in some instances, ensure customer data from nation-state residencies is kept in that locality.
http://continuitycentral.com/index.php/news/erm-news/1629-managing-the-new-risk-landscape-of-customer-identity-management

6. More than 90 percent of employees violate information security policies

Due to the advent of cloud-based productivity tools and the increase in collaboration between employees, more data is changing hands and leaving company-controlled networks than ever before. In fact, almost two-thirds of employees report regularly using personal technologies for work, primarily for the sake of convenience. For example, sending a file from their company computer to a personal email account to work while they are not in the office.
http://continuitycentral.com/index.php/news/technology/1544-more-than-90-percent-of-employees-violate-information-security-policies