How privacy and cybersecurity work together to protect data.
Both functions work together through risk assessments tools such as a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA).
What is this tool?
A PIA is a powerful risk assessment tool that helps organizations assess and evaluate how personal data (names, addresses, social security numbers, phone numbers etc) are collected, used, and safeguarded.
This is where privacy and cybersecurity join forces
- Cybersecurity (the armor) protects personal data from hackers and leaks. This practice ensures that the data is protected from breaches, unauthorized access, and cyber threats, through encryption, access controls, and technical safeguards.
- Privacy (the conscience) ensures that the personal data is used safely. The practice ensure that the personal data is handled ethically and legally. It focuses on transparency, consent, data minimization, and compliance with regulations like GDPR, Privacy Act or HIPAA.
In simple terms
Cybersecurity keeps your data safe from hackers. Privacy makes sure your data is used fairly and with your permission. One protects the data, the other protects your rights.
Cybersecurity = shields the data
Privacy = respects the person behind the data
- Through tools like PIA, they both work together to:
- Spot risks before they become a problem
- Collaborate on risk assessments. These risks assessments are used to build systems that protect people’s info from the start.
- Create accountability and trust by helping companies and organizations earn trust by doing the right thing.
When privacy and cybersecurity work together organizations don’t just protect their data, they protect their people.
Related reading: More insights from Dr. Moya Hill | Explore the Unified Information Governance Model
