CS Sep-Oct 2021

information security
PRIVACY PAYOFF: CHAMPIONING DATA VIGILANCE
AS PEOPLE CONSIDER POST-PANDEMIC LIFE
WHILE EDUCATING CONSUMERS IS IMPORTANT, INDIVIDUALS MUST ENGAGE BY REFLECTING ON THEIR
ONLINE SECURITY AND ITS IMPACT, STATES DAVID EMM, PRINCIPAL SECURITY RESEARCHER AT KASPERSKY
Much has been made of the 'new
normal' that awaits us beyond
COVID - or at least, this stage
of COVID. As we learn to live either with
or without the virus, we have already
entered our post-lockdown lives. Those
long-awaited holidays, that music
festival, a three-time-postponed sporting
event. Or, via a few clicks of a button,
your online shopping network, your
updated communications apps, your
more dispersed and digitised social life.
It's understandable that people have
been eager to get back to normal now
that restrictions have lifted. However,
in the race to return to these events,
there has been an increased security
conundrum - but what is the privacy
price people are willing to pay to ensure
that they are at the front of the queue
when getting back into events, going
on holiday and more?
What personal data are those in Europe
willing to sacrifice for post-pandemic
freedoms? At first glance, it's clear that
we are willing to pay quite a hefty
price. A new data privacy heatmap has
explored the new consumer dynamic
across Europe to gauge what people are,
and are not, willing to share in the form
of personal data, in order to access these
new freedoms, solutions and online
services.
In the UK, for example, almost threequarters
(72%) would be happy to share
personal healthcare, location and contact
data if it meant a quicker release of
restrictions and back into events,
festivals, social spaces or airports. And
seven in 10 European respondents also
stated they would be prepared to
provide personal healthcare and
movement data for more freedoms.
Furthermore, 45% of European
respondents said they would willingly
provide healthcare and movement data
to help their own country overcome
COVID-19. On the domestic front, 84%
of Brits would share personal data for
free digital services, while lures of
discounts, online convenience or 'free
gifts' would also tempt many out of their
private details. While the promise of gifts
and details may seem appealing, many
don't realise the privacy implications of
giving such information away.
These insights and attitudes bring fresh
cybersecurity concerns to the fore. But is
it a lack of awareness or a lack of care
that is failing to halt the data deluge? It
seems to be the latter. Almost all (95%)
of Brits claim that data privacy is
important to them, and they also seem
to be aware of the pitfalls, with 83%
voicing concern that their data could fall
into the wrong hands over the next
two years. And this sentiment is echoed
throughout Europe, too. In fact, as
revealed by the heatmap, 95% of
Europeans feel data privacy is important
but only 52% of the continent's
population feel in control of their
personal data. Eight in 10 Europeans
also fear that their personal data will fall
into hands of criminals, just as Brits do
as well.
While educating consumers is
important, it is equally crucial that
individuals themselves engage in
considering their online security and its
impact. A prime example would be social
media and the ease through which
people often share large amounts of
private data without considering the
wider implications as to whom can
access that information, such as
advertisers and marketers for example.
It is a case of taking responsibility for
their online safety as they would in
person. This includes understanding
the information they are giving and
whether the benefits outweigh the risks.
PRIORITISING CUSTOMER PRIVACY
That being said, businesses hold the
main responsibility for making people's
privacy a priority. They must ask
themselves not only from a legal
standpoint, but from an ethical one:
what is the purpose of the data that is
being collected? And: what are the
implications of having this data, should
there be a security breach? After all, the
more data that is held, the more at risk
it becomes, meaning that only essential
information should be collected. The
most important question that businesses
must ask themselves, however, is: what
are we doing to protect consumers?
Not only will asking this question mean
businesses are protecting customer's data
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