On January 28, we're celebrating European Data Privacy Day. This occasion highlights the importance of protecting personal data, which is increasingly true in our digital environment.

All of us have the fundamental right to protection for our personal data, which lets us know, control, and decide about what is done with information that can identify us as individuals, whether directly or indirectly. However, it may be that we now increasingly feel that control is slipping out of our hands.

Our personal data being processed is a constant in daily life, and there are regulations that establish specific obligations for the processing that organizations can carry out on our personal data.

We all process other people's information - not just companies and organizations, but even us as individuals (for instance, when doing work or other activities in our free time). At the same time, our data is processed by multiple organizations, their employees, and other people in their private sphere of activity.

This is true when we're surfing the internet (shopping or on social media), going on a trip and planning an activity, participating in group activities, or looking for work and interacting with other companies.

Why is it important to protect personal data?

There are several types of personal data, which may have different levels of sensitivity for their owners depending on the circumstances. There's everything from widely known data, like our first and last names, to more sensitive or private information, like our health or activity patterns and preferences.

Protecting these details, regardless of the prior consideration given for their sensitivity, is quite important to keep them from being misused and harming anyone. A data leak, whether intentional or not, can lead to this information being put to unknown and potentially injurious purposes, such as:

  • (i)locating and tracking an individual, making it possible to physically locate them at a particular time;
  • (ii) associating multiple sets of data and records from different sources, and thus assembling a detailed profile of the person and predicting their behavior in different situations that may arise; or
  • (iii)harmful actions that could damage the individual's financial status or reputation, such as stealing their bank card data or impersonating them in hiring and purchasing goods and services, or associating the person with circumstances or services that would tarnish their honor or image.

What can I do to protect my and other people's data?

  • Stay up-to-date → keep track of who you share your data with, and when doing so, check the information provided on the foreseeable processing. Ask for this information if you cannot find it easily.
  • Know your rights and exercise them → Data protection laws recognize various rights you have regarding your personal data. For example, you can find out what information about you is processed and the reason for it, and you can request its rectification. You can also request that your data be deleted or oppose specific processing in certain cases.
  • Don't provide more information than necessary → don't share too much information about yourself or third parties. Exercise extreme caution when using social media.
  • Configure and update your computer devices → Choose secure privacy settings and be aware of what permissions you allow for different apps and software tools you use daily, especially if you use smart devices like home assistants or wearable technology. Update your apps and protection systems frequently.
  • Use strong passwords → choose different passwords for the different services you sign up for. Update your passwords often and make sure they're strong.
  • Avoid logging in → when browsing the internet, avoid logging in to the different pages you visit; if you do, log out when you finish browsing.
  • Restrict your connections to public Wi-Fi networks and, when appropriate, limit the amount and type of information you send over them.
  • Online shopping → try to use cards exclusively for online purchases. Whenever you're sending payment details, make sure that the website where you're making the purchase has a secure browsing certificate.
  • Rules at work → know the rules and policies on security at your company in order to understand how to act and carry out your duties without compromising the safety of personal data.

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Disclaimer

Ferrovial SA published this content on 28 January 2022 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 28 January 2022 08:55:26 UTC.