The GDPR requires you to comply with the principles of data protection by design and by default. In particular, Article 25 outlines the principles for data protection. Consider the privacy rights of your users when creating and launching a new app. Think about how personal data will be used by your app and how you can minimize and secure this data. You can begin your data protection journey today by reading these articles and using them as a guide. There are many other aspects of data protection to consider when building a new app, including:
Identifying sensitive data
Personal and sensitive data are categories of data that need to be protected from unauthorized access and disclosure. Exposure to this information can cause considerable harm to individuals and organizations, as well as expose them to legal liability. Examples of sensitive data include social security numbers, biometric data, health and medical records, and records of ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or criminal history. In addition to these categories, there is also classified information, which is officially known as National Security Information.
The first step in ensuring the security of sensitive data is to identify the type of data that needs to be protected. In most cases, data that falls into one of these categories should be classified as such. If there is a need to share such information, it should be classified as such. This classification should be consistent with the nature of the information and the level of risk it poses. Listed below are five steps to classify sensitive data:
Managing sensitive data
When it comes to processing sensitive data, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) outlines a series of principles. While this list is lengthy, some basic principles can be highlighted: minimising data and only processing what is necessary. Unnecessary data should be removed from a dataset before processing. This also applies to the storage and disposal of sensitive data. Managing sensitive data properly means ensuring that all data is treated as confidential.
Organizations collect a huge amount of information and any source can potentially contain sensitive data. Many of these sources are often relocated to different locations for various purposes such as analytics, storage, or warehousing. Additionally, data may be copied multiple times, including when AI models are being developed. These copied files could then be used to abuse sensitive data. It is important to follow the regulations for the protection of this data.
Protecting personal data
A company’s data security measures must take into account the volume of personal data, the complexity of its operations, and the costs of tools used to address vulnerabilities. Companies are also required by law to ensure the security of personal data, as HIPAA imposes strict requirements for covered healthcare entities and financial services. State laws may also impose data security obligations if they handle certain types of personal information. Listed below are some tips for securing data:
When we talk about personal data, we are referring to any piece of information about an individual’s identity or personal preferences. This data can be anything from a person’s name to their email address, bank account details, posts on social networking websites, and even biometric data like the IP address of their computer. The task of keeping track of all of this information is enormous. Failure to do so can lead to stiff fines and even business closure.
Building safeguards for the right to privacy
The right to privacy was first recognised in the United States in 1967. In the early 1980s, the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare created a Privacy Advisory Committee to raise issues related to record-keeping practices in the computer age. The group developed principles for ensuring the right to privacy, including the right to meaningful participation in decisions regarding personal information. Today, this principle remains as relevant as ever.
Historically, privacy has served as a guard against the mass media, which exploited people’s most basic instincts. However, governments need personal information to protect their citizens and govern themselves. The right to privacy protects citizens from overzealous government use of that information. In this day and age, governments wield enormous bureaucratic and technological power. However, they must be careful not to overdo it and protect the privacy of their citizens.