Data Protection

In the digital age, protecting data and information is chiefly about protecting the privacy of data stored digitally. This section defines which data deserves the strongest protection and how that protection is achieved, both technically and legally.

Sensitive data

Not all data is equally dangerous to lose. Sensitive data is defined as those elements of data which, if breached or compromised, can cause substantial harm, embarrassment, inconvenience or unfairness to an individual. Examples include:

• biometric information,
• health information,
• financial information, and
• other personal documents, images, audio or video.

How privacy of sensitive data is implemented

Privacy of sensitive data is implemented through technical safeguards:

• encryption — encoding the data so only authorised parties can read it,
• authentication — verifying that the person accessing the data is who they claim to be, and
• other secure methods.

Together these ensure that sensitive data is accessible only to the authorised user, and only for a legitimate purpose.

Data protection policies (laws) …