How to Protect Your Data?

Globally, internet users have reached a number of 5.25 billion in 2022, which represents 66,2% of the world’s population. Individuals and organizations use technology on daily basis and it has affected almost everyone’s life in different aspects.

Even though technology has made life easier in many ways, it is not always as beneficial as one might think. Being exposed to technology in this increased capacity means that our data is accessible to others and it is not as private as we might want it to be.

All this data can be violated or corrupted by malicious actors which is a highly concerning issue. However, it is important that everyone stays cyber-aware, in order to improve data privacy to the best of their capabilities.

What is data protection and why is it important?

Data protection is a set of safeguarding strategies, processes, and technologies whose main objective is to protect data’s confidentiality, integrity, and availability under any circumstance and from any form of malicious activities, hackers, or other threats.

Organizations collect and store large amounts of data, from organizational documents to costumer’s private information. Unfortunately, as amounts of data increase, so does the risk of it being attacked or breached. Hence, such acts can cause very harmful damages, which is why protecting data has become an essential part of organizations of all sizes and sectors.

Data protection gains special importance when it concerns customers. Sensitive information like names, addresses, emails, numbers, or bank details, are data that must be secured and protected. If valuable data gets in the wrong hands, consequences can be grave.

A very effective solution to this can be the implementation of the Privacy Information Management Systems (PIMS) under the requirements and guidelines of ISO/IEC 27701.

Data privacy and data security

When we try to understand data protection, it is important to elaborate more on data privacy and data security, their characteristics, and the differences between them.

Data privacy focuses more on the proper manners of handling, processing, storing, and using sensitive data, e.g. personal data or other confidential information.

Data security is concerned with securing or protecting data from any unauthorized access, corruption, theft, exploitation, and other unwanted actions that can be caused by external attackers or even malicious insiders.

ISO/IEC 27001 is the international standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). It is one of the most well-known standards globally, published by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO), which specifies requirements for establishing, maintaining, implementing, and improving security.

The implementation of ISO/IEC 27001 demonstrates an organization’s compliance with information security requirements.

How to protect your data?

Here are some strategies and practices on how to protect your data:

1. Different data protection processes – Regular data backups, data encryption, data erasure, and firewalls are some of the best methods and tools to secure data.
2. Minimize data collection – Collecting only necessary data is a good practice as it saves resources and lowers the chances of being targeted by cyber hackers.
3. Protect passwords – Creating strong passwords and not reusing them across different sites protects from digital invasion. 
4. Secure wireless network – Using public wireless or unsecured wireless connection puts your data in danger. It is recommended that your wireless connection is protected with a password and to also use a secured wireless. An unsecured wireless connection can make it easier for others to hack into your data.
5. Replicate data – Is the technique of making multiple copies of data on an ongoing basis and storing them in another location.
6. Lock devices – Locking your mobile devices, laptops, computers, and apps provides extra security.  
7. Apply software updates – Leaving software outdated may increase vulnerabilities.
8. Train employees – Increasing staff awareness and their competencies is key to the successful protection of any organization’s data.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The General Data Protection Regulation is a data protection legislation that establishes rules and laws for collecting, storing, and managing the personal data of citizens within the European Union. This regulation defines personal data as any information that can be directly or indirectly used to identify a person.

The Certified Data Protection Officer training course enables you to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and competence to comply with the legislative requirements of GDPR.

Certification in Data Protection and compliance with GDPR protects your organization's credibility, reputation, and financial status. Organizations that do not comply with GDPR may risk very large fines.

Seven principles of data protection

The GDPR established key principles of data protection:

1. Lawfulness, Fairness, and Transparency – This principle requires the collected data to be used and processed fairly and lawfully.
2. Purpose Limitation – Personal data is collected for specific and legitimate purposes which are previously stated. Therefore, personal data cannot be used for other purposes.
3. Data Minimization – The extent and amount of data collected and processed must be adequate, relevant, and limited to the intended purpose.
4. Accuracy – This principle requires personal data to be accurate and updated.
5. Storage Limitations – Personal data should only be stored for a necessarily limited period of time.
6. Integrity and Confidentiality – Personal data must be protected with appropriate security measures.
7. Accountability – Organizations are responsible for complying with GDPR and for processing personal data properly in accordance with the six other principles.

Conclusion

Upon considering all the information, the increase of information technology and internet at this range, has made data protection one of the most important challenges for almost every organization. We can safely conclude that data breaches and cyber-attacks are becoming more sophisticated as the time passes. Therefore, implementation of advanced data protection processes, tools, and technologies is crucial. Fortunetely, standards like ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27701, legislations like GDPR, amongst others, can effectively help organizations regarding data protection.

How can PECB help?

PECB offers qualitative and professional trainings, providing certification for professionals who aim to become more competent and achieve the required comprehensive knowledge of data protection requirements.

For further information please visit PECB Training Events or contact us at support@pecb.com.

Contributors to the article:

Vlerë Hyseni, PECB's staff

Albana Iseni, PECB's staff