With the growing need to safeguard sensitive information, it’s easy to see why data privacy is increasingly important in the digital era. Details such as personal IDs, financial information, records about health, employee data, and consumer information are all in need of protection.
This is also important in businesses that store such types of information and want to prevent data breaches, so there is a need to implement certain actions and understand regulations to protect user information. But which regulations are important and how can you successfully protect user data?
Our article will focus on these issues – keep reading to find out all you need to know on the importance of data privacy, state level regulations, the best practices for protecting user information, and more.
The Importance of Data Privacy
In a truly interconnected world, there’s no mistaking the importance of data privacy. Giving individuals and businesses the chance to empower themselves in personal information control and autonomy preservation, privacy of data ensures they choose how data can be:
- Gathered or collected
- Used or implemented
- Shared with others
Alongside this empowerment and autonomy, what is equally important is knowing that data breaches and privacy violations can occur without the right protocols and processes.
One case in point is the Global Affairs Canada data breach, which included the personal details of employees – the breach was directly related to malicious cyber activity and, as well as employee data, affected the internal systems.
Overview of Data Privacy Regulations
As a means to prevent such breaches, major regulations are in place. One such example is the General Data Protection Regulation or (GDPR). This data privacy regulation is prevalent in the European Union but still can apply to Canadian businesses and individuals.
An additional example is the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act or (PIPEDA), which we will look at more closely below.
General Data Protection Regulation
GDPR regulations are a law that affects Canadians since businesses that sell to EU citizens or interact online with them must adhere to these regulations. It’s a regulation that applies to the personal data collection and data use, meaning that companies must manage the data in a transparent way.
Some of the situations in which you must adhere to the GDPR laws include the following:
- Your company’s website gathers cookies from site visitors located in the European Union
- Your business sells services or products to consumers or individuals in the European Union
- You process the data of EU residents for your clients
We have explored the GDPR regulations in more detail below – continue reading for more information.
GDPR: A Closer Look
Under GDPR, a few responsibilities apply to organizations affected by this regulation. Businesses need to establish data protection measures, and a few examples include completing a data protection impact assessment (DIPA), giving training to employees about data protection, creating a response plan for data breaches, and using strong security measures.
- Completing a DIPA: This systematic approach helps companies identify and reduce potential risks linked with poor data protection. It involves reviewing the data processing activities and how this impacts privacy rights.
- Training employees: This process involves imparting frequent training to ensure employees are up to speed on the best practices for safeguarding data and how to report security incidents.
- Creating response plans: Data breach response plans can include specific steps that tell employees what actions to take if there is a data breach. It can include steps such as notifying the individuals affected or taking measures to limit the spread of the breach.
- Using strong security measures: Strong security measures prevent unauthorized access to personal data and ensure the information is not altered in any way.
Yet, without these approaches, a data breach can be devastating. One instance of the impact non-compliance can have on a company is seen in the Desjardins Group case. In this situation, an employee who had unauthorized access to sensitive data had shared the information with others, exposing more than 2.9 million members’ data.
Protection and Electronic Documents Act
PIPEDA regulations are a set of rules related to private sector organizations. It determines how such organizations can collect and disclose or use personal information in the context of commercial activities in Canada. Compliance is important in the following situations or circumstances:
- You collect and use personal data of natural persons for commercial activities
- Your company gathers personal data of employees for your business
- You disclose personal information when completing commercial activities
To provide more information, we have gone into more detail about PIPEDA and how it compares with GDPR just below.
PIPEDA: Further Details
Plenty of similarities exist between PIPEDA and GDPR. They are both privacy laws that apply to handling personal data within an organization, yet a key difference is important.
The PIPEDA is less broad in its scope and only applies to businesses that complete commercial activities. It also states that businesses can only collect or use the personal information in circumstances that a reasonable individual would believe to be ‘appropriate.’
PIPEDA works alongside the ever-changing landscape of data privacy legislation in Canada. It periodically undergoes revisions, such as changes related to consent. For example, organizations need to obtain consent from individuals before gathering, using, sharing, or disclosing their information.
Best Practices for Protecting User Information
Picture a process in which user information is perfectly protected – through which no unauthorized users can access user data and employees understand how to protect said data. This is what best practices for protecting user information can help with. If you’re wondering which practical tips are important for this, here are a few examples:
- Utilizing encryption methods: This is a method that requires your business to convert sensitive information into a code. It’s a process that forces others to use a decryption key to read the data and requires a few steps.
For example, you can use an encryption algorithm such as a symmetric advanced encryption standard to complete the process. This involves choosing and generating a key, managing the key correctly, choosing the operation mode, and using the key to complete the encryption.
- Eliminating security vulnerabilities: This method requires you to improve network security by implementing firewalls or intrusion detection systems. Such systems can ensure cyber attacks are minimized and data remains secure.
Installing a firewall involves selecting the right solution, setting it up either via the system and security settings in Windows or security and privacy settings in Mac systems, and defining the rules and security levels.
- Implementing access controls: This approach involves limiting data access to specific users who are authorized. The process can include using strong passwords or multi-factor authentication to eliminate unauthorized access and reduce the chances of data breaches.
Using multi-factor authentication (MFA), for example, requires you to choose the MFA type, enable it on each account via the settings, complete the configuration process, and test the configured setup.
At the same time, it’s not enough to use just these steps. Remember to be transparent with all users in terms of the data handling practices you use. It is with greater transparency and communication that you can also build trust with clients and employees alike.
Use IT Support Services in Edmonton from Tech Masters to Facilitate Data Protection
Now, more than ever, reinforcing data privacy is important in the digital age. It can help your business align with regulations and ensure you build trust with your clients. Even though adhering to data protection laws can be challenging, the proper handling of data is important – and you can protect data with support from managed IT services.
Whether you collect, store, or use personal data, make sure you adhere to regulations. Stay aware of changing regulations and use IT support services in Edmonton from Tech Masters to support your ongoing efforts to protect user information successfully.
