It Takes Data to Protect Data

We live in a world of constant data flow, and safeguarding data has never been more important. Be it medical records, financial information or simple online passwords, the amount of private data that needs to be protected continues to grow. Along with this growth in the need to secure data, however, are the privacy concerns people have with their data. While some would pit security and privacy against each other, arguing that individuals must choose one over the other, the two actually can and should reinforce each other. It’s this model that forms the basis of this chapter: Privacy and security should be pursued hand-in-hand as we move toward an increasingly connected, digital world. To fully realize the benefits of information technology, big data and IoT, individuals must be confident that their devices are designed in a way that protects their data and that any data being collected and processed from those devices is used responsibly. Using internationally recognized mechanisms such as the Fair Information Privacy Principles, public and private organizations can enable both the innovative AND ethical use of data. The key is not avoiding data but using it mindfully. It takes data to protect data.