Table of Contents
Abstract
The evolution of technology has given us tremendous advantages. The way we have been able to process data affords us the ability to search, browse, and analyze millions of bytes of data remarkable rates. This data can be entered in some form of database utilizing web form on social media sites, banking sites, professional and personal sites. Though there are occasions where we are unfamiliar with a pop-up screen or web form, we should pay close attention to what we are submitting our information on. Ask yourself these simple questions, are you considering how important your information is and keeping in mind your data privacy and in what way is your information is secured properly? I believe we provide businesses blanket trust with our information because we freely supply our information without truly understanding or knowing how this data is being secured once it is entered on a website. Ensuring your data privacy and information is secured is a very critical issue not just for businesses but there should also be a dire need on your part as a consumer or just an avid computer user to protect your information.
Introduction
Data Privacy plays a major role in the way businesses handle user’s data. Whether you are opening a new Facebook account, shopping on Amazon, online banking, or even signing up for a new email account on Google all these businesses all have something in common, your personal information. As I stated at the beginning of my paper, technology has evolved tremendously over the years and data privacy has been an important piece of its success and growth spur. Businesses and hackers are all in a fight for information. We as users fight to make sure we are surfing save and protect ourselves from a serious crisis of having our identities stolen. Identity theft can happen to anyone at any time. In today’s time, we have social media to partially blame for it. We tend to post a lot about our personal and professional lives for it to be seen by those who follow us on social media.
Social Media was created for us to share our lives with our family and friends and those whom we trust. According to LifeLock personally, identifiable information (PII) and personal health information (PHI) tells a lot about us. It can include our social security numbers, health, and medial reports, financial data, down to the basic sensitive information like your date of birth, and your address. You are probably asking yourself why research data privacy and what does this have to do with social media and protecting our data privacy. I would say your safety, data privacy, and lively hood are all at stake. They can easily be taken away along with your identity. If your information falls into the hands of the wrong individual(s) this could become life-altering. Safe surfing and being conscious of which websites you are entering your data on is just the beginning of protecting your data privacy. Lifelock recommends that you keep your data private because you can be sharing a lot more that must your name with perfect strangers.
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The implications of my research led me to believe that if we take an ethical approach to data privacy this method would be the better choice for our protection in this digital age against unwarranted attacks. Isaca Journal published an issue in 2016 about taking this approach. This journal touched some very important points regarding data privacy, trust, security, and how to embrace the ethical principals despite the complexity of how vast the internet has evolved into what I would consider being controlled chaos. My question is how we get to the point of being more aware of protecting our data. Wanbil Lee, Wolfgang Zankl, Henry Chang, collaborated and published a journal on Isaca.com.
This particular journal offered two appropriate viewpoints on how to approach data privacy ethically and pragmatically. These authors believed that information security is technology-driven which becomes complex since it can be considered to be a socio-techno risk. To better understand what socio-techno risk are I went to securitysolutionmedia.com. On this site, it described socio-techno as a network of interconnected elements compromising groups of people and technology that functions as a simple or complex system created to achieve specific goals development to finding the better match between systems that are technological and social. It can also be defined as the involvement and complex interaction between humans and machines and how they operate in the environment or a working system.
Problem Statement
From my research, I would like to address the issues we have with unethical technology practices and data security. Could it be that we are our demise? As I stated earlier, the socio-techno risk is everywhere. Think about all the futuristic movies and how they portray humans and machines. They are very data-driven. He who has that has the most technology always rules. Here is my dilemma with inadequate data privacy and unethical technology, criminals are constantly after information, securing data privacy, and protecting our personal information is counterproductive when we are part of the problem.
Problem Significance
Data privacy is not just of personal importance, but it is critical to our industry. From an industry perspective, it can be a key asset for a business to operate and it could have a grave effect on the economic structure of the business. For instance, think of companies in the industries that share tons of data. Google, Facebook, Amazon, and even the Stock exchange. Data privacy and securing consumer information is key. Jeff Petters published an article stating some very valid differences between Data privacy and information privacy and the proper handling of data. Petters stated that ‘Privacy forms the basis o our freedom.’ He also quoted in his article ‘While you can have data protection without data privacy, you cannot have data privacy without data protection.’ This is a very thought-provoking statement and I believe if all consumers would adopt some sound principles to hold us personally accountable while browsing the internet we can better address and simplify the complexities of regulations and compromise our data privacy.
Literature Review
The amount of work and information that has been found on data privacy and references on how to secure your information is enormous. While doing research I came across some interesting article:
- Mr. Abdul Wahid Khan, Mr. Siffat Ullah Khan, Mr. Muhammad Ilyas and Mr. Muhammad Ilyas Azeem
These gentlemen concluded that cloud computing, data privacy, data protection, and security issues are a few of the challenges. The also gave some very good advantages and disadvantages that are associated with cloud computing. Their collaboration on the journal publication was very informational with tons of defined risk or scenarios that would allow data to be lost or leaked. It’s beyond a Facebook, Google, or Yahoo form that you would normally see when mindless browsing the internet.
- Simanta Shekhar Sarmah
After reading this journal I was able to walk away with a better understanding of database vulnerabilities and associated with maintain database integrity. Simanta expressed that performing a risk analysis is key. Once you define the framework and the resources that will be utilized you will be able to apply the proper security techniques. Then you will be able to successfully educate your users. Simanta journal publication can use user information for any level system and database administrator to use as a guide for preventing unnecessary attacks.
Industry Response
Consumer Data Privacy and Security Act of 2020 is a proposed piece of federal legislation for a data privacy framework mainly for small to midsize businesses. Senator Jerry Morgan (R-Kansas) introduced this bill of business-friendliness for small to midsize business which attempts to reduce the burden for individuals’ rights to access data and comply with certain compliance obligations. This article published by Polsinelli PC of California offered some highlights of the bill. It defines what small businesses are, determines the number of civil penalties for no private right of action of those individuals affected or violated, expresses preemption of state law, federal law, FTC involvement, what is expectable for small businesses, and the standards of consent. This is an example of what is being brought before Congress to choose what approaches we can take to better protect consumers and businesses form key trends of data privacy in the industry. I believe the ownness is on every company, large or small to identify a focus on data privacy and protect their businesses and most importantly their customers. Data privacy has become an increasingly important issue and regulations that may impact data usage.
Conclusion
In this paper, my research and exploration have given me a new perspective on data privacy and securing my personal information. I learned that there is an obvious risk that is related to surfing the internet and information gathering from businesses. I now have a few techniques that I use to help protect myself however with techniques are not guaranteed to keep me from being taken advantage of by a malicious attacker. Being more cautious whenever I am mindless browsing the web I try to operate by a certain set of rules or guidelines for protecting my privacy.
Maintaining data privacy and avoiding my personal information from getting into the wrong hands and preventing what could be alike altering situations I am choosing to approach it from an ethical perspective and not click or submit my information on-site or forms that my gut feeling tells me to not search.
References
- NortonLifeLock, W. (2020). What Is Data Privacy and Why Is it Important? Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.lifelock.com/learn-identity-theft-resources-what-is-data-privacy-and-why-is-it-important.html
- Lee, W., Zankl, W., and Chang, H., 2020. An Ethical Approach To Data Privacy Protection. [online] Isaca.org. Available at: https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2016/volume-6/an-ethical-approach-to-data-privacy-protection [Accessed 24 April 2020].
- Foster, K., Foster, K. F. D. K. J., Foster, K., Foster, K. J., Foster Risk Management Pty Ltd, & Foster Risk Management Pty Ltd. (2018, November 15). What Is A Socio-Technical System And Why Is It Important For Risk Management? Retrieved from https://www.securitysolutionsmedia.com/2018/11/19/what-socio-technical-system-why-important-risk-management
- Khan, Abdul & Khan, Siffat Ullah & Ilyas, Muhammad & Azeem, Muhammad. (2012). A Literature Survey on Data Privacy/ Protection Issues and Challenges in Cloud Computing. IOSR Journal of Computer Engineering. 1. 2278-661.
- Petters, J. (2020, March 30). Data Privacy Guide: Definitions, Explanations, and Legislation: Varonis. Retrieved from https://www.varonis.com/blog/data-privacy
- Federal Privacy Legislation Update: Consumer Data Privacy and Security Act of 2020 Intelligence. (n.d.). Polsinelli. Retrieved April 26, 2020, from https://www.polsinelli.com/intelligence/consumer-data-privacy-and-security-act-2020
- Sarmah, S. S. (2019). Database Security –Threats & Prevention. International Journal of Computer Trends and Technology, 67(5), 46–53. doi: 10.14445/22312803/ijctt-v67i5p108
