There is a close connection between privacy and cybersecurity. To maintain customer trust and comply with regulatory requirements, your organization must excel at both. By understanding the differences and similarities between these concepts, you can improve how you measure success, collaborate across teams, and structure internal operations.
Cybersecurity is intrinsically linked with privacy today, as finding a balance between the two is the only way to deal with various sinister forces seeking to do us harm. They are, however, not the same. This article aims to highlight where privacy and cybersecurity overlap, where they diverge, and what their overall relationship is like in the digital era.
Remember that the article provides general information on the topic and does not constitute legal advice. If you want a complete understanding of the context in which your organization operates, please get in touch with one of the best cybersecurity consultant firms.
Privacy in the Modern Age
Defining privacy is a tricky thing. Regarding technology, we generally refer to data privacy, which includes everything from political views to images and documents. However, as a general concept, privacy is, of course, a long-held and fundamental right.
In the American Constitution, privacy is given a firm nod, but it isn’t explicitly defined. It is often cited that the Ninth Amendment protects the right to privacy of beliefs and lifestyles.
Modern privacy concepts place a much greater emphasis on personal data than traditional privacy definitions. For example, UK privacy guru Toby Hayes defines privacy as an individual’s understanding of how their data will be used and their ability to influence its use.
As we can see from this definition, online privacy refers to the control we (the user) have over the use of our data. This illustrates how privacy isn’t about hiding data but rather a process, a subset of the broader concept of trust — the cornerstone of any relationship.
Good relationships are built on trust. The relationship falls apart if trust is broken. This holds true both online and offline. In this context, privacy plays an important role. Data privacy is ultimately about having a say in how your data is created, shared, and stored.
The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is the bible of data privacy enforcement. This regulation has sent shivers down the spines of IT professionals everywhere because of the dramatic changes it outlines in the flow of personal data on the internet.
In the GDPR, we are given a framework for addressing modern data privacy concerns, and the overarching principle of consent underpins it.
Cybersecurity Explained
Cybersecurity is a set of techniques, strategies, and controls that reduce risks and safeguard your data assets. If privacy is all about controlling your data, cybersecurity is a means to enhance your levels of said control. In fact, the discipline of data protection revolves around cybersecurity.
Understanding the threat landscape before implementing policies, processes, and procedures to address threats is essential. This means cybersecurity is a process, just like privacy.
Cybercrime affects every aspect of our lives, both professionally and personally. This is reflected in the cybersecurity sector, which is buoyant. By 2023, cybersecurity will be worth $248 billion, an annual growth of over 10%.
There are many ways to protect ourselves and our organizations from cyberattacks, whether from within our company or outside.
Data protection is not the only aspect of cybersecurity. The discipline also involves protecting critical infrastructure, preventing disruptions of operations, and preventing extortion. However, our data privacy can only be ensured by cybersecurity measures and the expertise of cybersecurity professionals.
Data Privacy and Cybersecurity — A Match Made in Heaven
To manage data privacy, consent must be obtained, but security measures must also be implemented. Security plays a vital role in preventing data breaches. Your consent to let an organization process your data is meaningless if data protection cannot be enforced.
Here are a few standard privacy enforcement measures:
- Educating employees about privacy and essential cybersecurity, especially phishing, a common method of exposing personal information;
- Protecting data privacy through security policies and strategies;
- Implementing technological measures to protect data, including encryption for data at rest, using encryption protocols (TLS/SSL) for data in motion, and ensuring robust access control;
- Measures to ensure anonymity and transparency when using mobile and the Internet of Things (IoT). Users should, for example, be able to turn off location tracking entirely.
Conclusion
We hope this article sheds some light on what data privacy and cybersecurity are and how they go hand in hand despite their differences.
Cybersecurity plays an essential role in protecting the personal data of real-life individuals. The protection of data, however, goes far beyond these mechanisms. By combining these concepts, an organization can build a trusted relationship with its customers, employees, and other human touch points.
