We’re bombarded with demands for our personally identifiable information (PII) and even sensitive data, but we don’t always implement the appropriate safeguards to safeguard these assets. Businesses are continually collecting, storing, and disseminating PII and sensitive data, but many people, including organizations, are still unaware of the consequences of improper data handling.
What are sensitive personal data? Sensitive personal data is a more particular collection of categories that must be treated with greater caution, as a leak of sensitive information could, for example, lead to discrimination. Health information, race or ethnicity, political viewpoints, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, sex life or sexual orientation, genetic data, and biometric data are among these categories.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Two-Factor Authentication (TFA) are two types of authentication methods
Two-factor and multi-factor authentication is other excellent ways to safeguard your data. These services give an extra layer of protection to the traditional password-based form of online identity.
A username and password are usually entered. You’ll be asked to provide a second authentication method, such as a Personal Identification Code, another password, or even your fingerprint if you use two-factor authentication.
After entering your username and password, you may be required to input more than two additional authentication methods with multi-factor authentication.
Because fraudsters may not have access to various devices you use to validate your identity, two-factor, and multi-factor authentication can help prevent them from obtaining your data.
Back up your data
Have you ever lost all of your data as a result of a computer breakdown or, even worse, a virus? You undoubtedly wished you had a backup in place to restore your data if you didn’t already. One of the most ignored aspects of protecting your PII and sensitive data is backups. Backup is used by IT administrators and security professionals to restore their organization’s data.
A basic backup rule to follow is the 3-2-1 backup rule. Three copies of your data are kept on at least two different types of media (local and external hard drive), with one copy kept offshore (cloud storage). When a system is infected with ransom, viruses, or malware, the best way to recover data is to perform a backup and restore.
Install all operating system, application, and mobile device updates
Do you dread updating your phone because it might fail or have a bug? You may be afraid to upgrade your phone or tablet, but a hacker can gain access to your sensitive data by exploiting hidden flaws in your device. The same can be said for the operating system and programs on your laptop. You may be hesitant to update owing to bugs, but automating your updates is generally a good idea.
Hundreds of patches are released each month by software distributors and device makers to address significant vulnerabilities. Did you know that threat actors identify more than 60 vulnerabilities every day? That number is also increasing! By examining your device settings and allowing it to update automatically, you can automate your updates and patches.
