In today's data driven world, what is your personal information worth?
What is personal information or personal data
Personal information is all about you, its about information that identifies you as living human being. This information helps identify your character, your preferences, likes, dislikes and what makes you tick. This information in silo may not be used to identify you however, cumulatively when put together with the sophisticated technology and artificial intelligence available today, its mind blowing at the potentials of creating a conducive environment to mine your information. This is the reality of the world we live in.
Personal #data is said to be information that identifies you directly or indirectly and in some cases these information can be quite subtle, its not just the obvious things you would think of such as your name, address, identification number, your email address and so forth, it can also include your physical characteristics, your height, all these little things about you put together could contribute to identifying who you are. Years back you could not have imagined that protecting these subtle characteristics could be worth thousands of pounds to organisations but now it is.
The greatest resources available to man is no longer mineral resources its human resources in the form or your information and your personal #data. Your information is a valuable commodity to organisations who are looking to make huge financial gains with your data. So how do you protect this valuable commodity?
How do I protect my personal information
What we thought historically as being impossible is now very possible so thinking out of the box when it comes safeguarding your #personal information must be at the forefront of your actions and decision making in light of sophisticated cyber attacks and fraudulent activities online.
Some practical steps you can implement to protect your information:
Keep your information private and PERSONAL
Minimize information shared on social media and in public places
Create strong passwords
Be mindful of your surroundings when disclosing information over the phone or for example at your GP practices, in hospitals or when at a cafe.
Lock your laptop when not in use
Do not open random emails or links you are not familiar with or expecting
When sharing information over the phone verify and authenticate whom your speaking to.
Protect your information, its all about YOU
Potentially, the services we all use make money for organisations when you provide them with your personal data. Advertisers are ready to pay a hefty amount for your details and criminals are prowling for any opportunity to steal your information. The saying goes that "ignorance is not bliss", data protection ignorance gives #POWER to organisations and cyber thieves because you equip them with the opportunity to make money with your unsecured data.
The key to protecting your data is CONTROL. Data Protection is about controlling your information and who has access to it. Your #privacy is paramount.
#Protect Your Information