Although they are related, data security and privacy are not the same. You may secure the assets of your company and the identities of your users more effectively by being aware of their distinctions. Security, on the other hand, refers to the system that prevents personal information from falling into the wrong hands as a result of a breach, leak, or cyber assault. Privacy, on the other hand, usually refers to the user's capacity to manage, access, and govern their personal information.
When it comes down to it, installing cybersecurity mechanisms does not entirely ensure that high standards of data privacy are being met. In this guide, we’ll break down the key differences between data privacy and data security.
When a party acquires illegal access to user data, it is referred to as a security breach. Data security refers to the procedures employed to protect against such breaches. Breach incidents are rather regular and usually involve significant user populations. For the high degree of personal data collection and the particular user (or data subject), security is essential.
Protecting a person's personal information is what data privacy is all about. Users' devices may have privacy safeguards that limit the amount of personal data that is shared with app developers, publishers, or other data collectors. Notably, privacy is also a concern when a business divulges information and data about its clients to outside parties. The data subject is the one who needs privacy the most. You may make the case that protecting privacy is essential for the organization collecting personal data in order to lower the risks involved with gathering and disclosing such data.
Compliance teams in healthcare must constantly have HIPAA at the forefront of their focus. However, even organizations outside of this sector should be mindful of how their consumer data usage processes are compliant.
All protected health information (PHI), whether it is stored or communicated electronically, on paper, or orally, by a covered organization or a business partner is protected by the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Any PHI that is sent via or stored by electronic means is referred to as "electronic protected health information" or ePHI.
As we mentioned earlier, data privacy refers to users' ability to interact with and change their own information. Security, instead, refers to established systems and technology that protect data from cyber criminals and potential data breaches.
The sort of protection used and who is requesting access to the data in issue are the two key distinctions between privacy and security. Users are protected by privacy laws from having their information shared with third parties without their knowledge or consent. Security safeguards prevent hackers from accessing or stealing user data; identity theft committed with malevolent intent differs from third-party marketers. However, it may be illegal if a person isn't notified that their information would be shared with a marketer. Furthermore, the more a person's privacy is violated, the more possibilities there are for hackers to access it; when your data is dispersed around the world, it is more likely to be exposed to security breaches and other occurrences.
Privacy and security can coexist, but they work best together. For instance, a business may state in its privacy policy that it is permitted to share or sell user data. Privacy is less safeguarded in that circumstance, although the organization's systems and those of the companies to whom it sells the data can still be secure. On the other side, users' identifying information is more likely to be compromised the less control they have over their data and the more that data is shared.
When it comes down to it, both security and data privacy are valuable– it’s all about finding the right balance that works for your organization and your customers.
"Accountable allowed us to quickly establish Core Compliance with HIPAA as well as a firm foundation for our Security Program." - Michael H.
