Protecting data from external threats
Aug. 31, 2014 marked the beginning of one of the biggest internet hacking scandals in recent memory. Almost 500 private and compromising photographs of female celebrities were posted on 4chan, spreading like wildfire through Tumblr, Reddit, and Twitter. The photos were reportedly obtained through a breach of Apple iCloud.
Since this story broke out, the issue of privacy has become a major public concern. People are becoming more nervous about the security of their private online information.
This makes the relevance of the 9th annual Data Privacy Day even more pronounced. Data Privacy Day is celebrated every Jan. 28, with the purpose of raising awareness and promoting data protection best practices.
The issue of online security is of particular interest to University of Guelph professor Rozita Dara, who has been studying internet privacy and “bridging the gap” between policy and technology since 2010.
Dr. Dara, previously an employee at the Office of Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, explains that data breaches are an everyday occurrence that most people are not aware of. She states that, “recent studies report that one million Canadians have been affected by the data breaches of federal institutions [but] there is no well-established data breach notification system to inform citizens of such incidents.”
A recent cybersecurity study also reported that more than 36 per cent of IT professionals say that their companies and customers have been the recipients of a significant data breach in the last 12 months. This number may even be higher as some breaches fall through the cracks and are not officially reported.
Dara said that because of this, “individuals should pay attention to the digital footprints they share online and how this information may be misused.”
“Sharing too much could harm digital reputation, job opportunities, and finances. As soon as the personal data becomes available in the borderless world, it is hard to control it” she explained.
Because of the recent high-profile hackings, people are becoming more aware of the importance of online privacy and the reality that what they think is private may not turn out to be so. Dara has shared a number of recommendations in order to help ensure that your personal information is protected. These include sharing your personal information with care, learning how to manage your digital identity online, thoroughly reading service providers’ privacy policies, checking privacy settings, and reviewing your browsers’ cookies.
By following these simple steps, we can significantly reduce the likelihood of putting our privacy at risk.