A major security risk is posed by personal data.
Concerns around personal data protection and privacy are growing as technological advancements continue.
ISLAMABAD:
Personal information is a person’s greatest value in the modern world. It has the potential to cause harm on all three of these fronts. Data protection and privacy are terms used to describe the business of preserving personal information.
In today’s digital environment, data privacy is a constantly developing topic of concern. Protecting this information is now more crucial than ever due to the growth of the internet and the rise in the amount of personal data being shared online.
Data privacy influences how personal information is gathered, utilized, and shared, which is a concern for people, corporations, and governments. It’s crucial to make sure that people have control over their own personal data and that personal information is gathered, used, and processed in a responsible, open, and legal manner.
It is now more difficult to distinguish between personal data and sensitive data in the digital age because the definition has been expanded to include items like name, date of birth, mother’s maiden name, national ID number, passport number, social security number, phone number, home address, office address, IP addresses, biometrics, bank account number, credit card number, PIN, medical/health record, criminal record, religious and race information, location, and other online identifiers.
The first data protection law was the Swedish Data Act of 1973, which was followed by the Privacy Act of the United States in 1974, the OECD’s published guidelines on the protection of privacy and cross-border flows in 1980, the EU’s Data Protection Directive in 1995, and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2016.
Around the world, other nations have also created their own data privacy laws, including Canada, Singapore, and Australia.
It is now more crucial than ever to make sure that personal information is safeguarded against unauthorized access or exposure due to the explosion of the digital economy and the amount of personal data that has been gathered, stored, and processed by organizations.
In addition, as social media and the internet have grown in popularity, it has become simpler for people to disclose personal information online, raising the risk that it will be accessed or used inappropriately.
The fact that the laws and regulations governing this field are continually changing presents one of the main obstacles in preserving data privacy. Several of these rules used to be concerned with preventing unauthorized access to or disclosure of personal information.
Data privacy is further complicated by the growth of big data and the expanding application of artificial intelligence, which have made it possible to gather and analyze enormous volumes of personal information.
The fact that many people are not aware of their rights and obligations when it comes to their personal data presents another significant obstacle to maintaining data privacy.
Nonetheless, there are a number of measures that can be taken to secure personal information:
One is educating stakeholders, including coworkers, clients, and consumers, about the value of protecting personal data and the dangers of data breaches.
Two: putting security measures in place to guard against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of personal data. This could involve firewalls, anti-virus software, access controls, masking, encryption, and regular software updates.
The third step is performing a risk assessment to find weaknesses and threats to personal data as well as to gauge how well current security measures are working.
Establishing policies and procedures for the gathering, using, maintaining, and discarding of personal data is step four. This should contain policies for data exchange, data disposal, and data retention.
The fifth is educating staff members and other stakeholders about data protection rules, procedures, and best practices.
Sixth, ensuring that personal data is handled in conformity with pertinent laws and regulations by monitoring and reviewing data protection policies and processes.
Seventh, responding to data breaches or other situations where personal data was involved.
In response to evolving legal requirements, technological developments, or new risks and threats, policies and procedures are routinely reviewed and updated.
By carrying out these actions, organizations can minimize the risk of data breaches and other security incidents and adopt a proactive approach to protecting personal data.
In recent years, Pakistan has made progress in data protection. The government enacted the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) in 2016, making a number of cybercrimes, such as hacking and unauthorized access to data, illegal.
The National Response Centre for Cyber Crimes (NR3C) was also set up by the act to look into and prosecute cybercrimes.
The Personal Data Protection Law, which aims to control the gathering, processing, and storage of personal data, was introduced by the Pakistani government in 2018. The bill is currently being examined; it has not yet become law.
The government has also established the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to oversee and regulate the telecommunications industry, including matters related to data protection and privacy. This is in addition to these legislative efforts.
On data retention, encryption, and other aspects of data protection, the PTA has issued guidelines and regulations.
The practical usefulness of these measures is still a matter of some concern. Also, there are doubts regarding the government’s capacity to guard against unauthorized access to personal information, particularly in the absence of a thorough data protection law.
With the development of technology and the rise in privacy and data security concerns, it is anticipated that the scope of personal data protection would increase in the future.
Future innovations in the protection of personal data could go in a number of different areas, such as tightening laws, enhancing accountability, expanding transparency, advancing technology, and raising consumer awareness.
Generally, as technology and society continue to advance, the scope of personal data protection is likely to increase.
We may anticipate seeing increased attempts to protect personal data and to guarantee that it is used ethically and responsibly as people and organizations become more conscious of the importance of data privacy and security.
