Data privacy is more than a right; it safeguards our personal information, prevents identity theft and fraud, and preserves the trust of individuals and businesses. However, it can be a complex issue to navigate, especially in a business environment that constantly evolves and introduces new technologies. From voice assistants listening to us, to smartwatches tracking our movements, the modern world is constantly collecting and sharing our personal data, raising privacy concerns.

In order to safeguard personal data, the first step is to identify what needs protection and create a thorough compliance program that aligns with relevant laws. This can be done by analyzing the risks and creating standard operating procedures that are fine-tuned to the business’s unique requirements.

This includes authentication and authorization processes, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), which requires users to provide more than one form of identification to access data. Role-based access control is another method of providing only authorized users with access to specific data sets, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches. Encryption is another effective way of securing sensitive data, by converting it into a code that only authorized parties can read.

Additionally, data minimisation is a key factor in protecting personal information because it limits the use of data to its original purpose. This reduces the potential impact of cyber-attacks, risk of data breaches and non-compliance, as well as limiting the time that personal information is held for. This is especially important for data that comes from sensitive domains like health, employment and financial services.