Information security implies protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. It is one of the biggest challenges for both organizations and individual users in modern society, which is often overlooked. Moreover, many employees neglect the most straightforward security recommendations, although organizations devote considerable material and human resources to protect corporate information. Therefore, since illegal access to confidential information and its modification can cause significant damage to both consumers and service providers, both parties must pay close attention to maintaining the confidentiality of data.
Many users do not think at all about the security of their personal data and confidential information. They post photos of their bank cards or passports on the Internet or publish passwords. Solove (2011) states that the problem of users publishing confidential information in the public domain is the lack of basic computer literacy. By posting personal information, people do not understand that it can be a failure for them. It causes the need to intensify educational work among the general population about the potential and real threats to information security and confidentiality. In turn, TEDx Talks (2017) asserts that the computer illiteracy of staff can cost a company hundreds of thousands of dollars in the event of a data breach. To overcome this, management needs to launch particular programs to educate staff about the possible dangers of the cyber world and strategies to prevent problem situations that can lead to data breaches.
As for me, I am concerned about protecting privacy, so I use various tools to preserve it. First, I use long passwords consisting of letters, numbers, and symbols and do not use well-known information that attackers can easily learn. Secondly, I use two-factor authentication, which requires confirmation, in addition to the password, to log into my account. Third, I try to avoid using public Wi-Fi, which according to Online Privacy: Using the Internet safely (2019), can also harm my privacy. Fourth, I use a VPN to help protect my information more reliably. Shahid (2021) notes that VPN, which is a popular tool for bypassing bans and bans, also offers data protection to its users. Thus, these measures help me maintain my privacy and protect myself from hacker attacks.
To improve their level of information security, consumers have the right to demand that the necessary measures be taken to protect their confidentiality. Andress (2019) affirms that it is vital that social media and Internet companies take a holistic approach to guarantee their users’ privacy, including taking administrative, technical, and physical security measures. First, access to users’ personal data should be limited to authorized employees who have a legitimate need for them under their job descriptions. Second, databases that store personal information must be subject to high-tech security measures, including state-of-the-art firewalls and quality antivirus and malware removal programs. Third, access to data should only be provided at the company’s physical premises, and remote access should be prohibited. Furthermore, companies should strive to collect no more personal data from users than is required for the purpose for which they are collected. In turn, it helps to reduce the overall risk of harm in the event of data loss or security breaches: the less data is collected, the lower the overall risk.
Thus, information security and the protection of confidentiality is a global challenges for the 21st century. Although the problem of protecting personal computers is acute nowadays, it is not always understood by users. Leveraging tools such as long and complex passwords, two-factor authentication, and VPNs, as well as minimizing public Wi-Fi usage, will help users maintain privacy. In turn, companies are required to take a comprehensive approach to the problem of protecting the confidential data of their users and apply administrative, technical, and physical security measures.
References
Andress, J. (2019). Foundations of information security: A straightforward introduction. No Starch Press.
Online privacy: Using the Internet safely. (2019). Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Web.
TEDx Talks. (2017). ONLINE PRIVACY: IT DOESN’T EXIST: Privacy and what we can do about it | Denelle Dixon | TEDxMarin [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Shahid, H. (2021). What is Internet privacy & Why it matters so much in 2021?. PureVPN. Web.
Solove, D. (2011). Why privacy matters even if you have ‘nothing to hide’ [PDF document]. Web.