Big Data’s Security Hacks
Big data isn’t always as secure as its lead on to be. Not even the government's data is secure. In fact, especially not the government’s data. They are using servers that are antiquated and they aren’t ahead of the hacking issue, that we are facing every day in the world today. As a business or a customer, everyone should be aware of this so they can be prepared in the event of a mass hacking. The federal government’s employee’s information was hacked, everything from their fingerprints to their extremely personal information. The government has no way to retrieve that information from the hackers.
Business owners, data can be used in a competitive market to help drive sales to the next level. Make sure the data that is captured is protected, so your company owns it. The data you collect can be protected through proper policies and contract measures, your business should own everything from a legal standpoint. This just protects your platform so, in case of a data breach, you are protected correctly.
From a legal standpoint, data should be maintained as a trade secret and there should be contracts in place to protect your trade secret. The use of contracts can set hard guidelines on who has access to the data and how they use and/or share it. There should be contracts with not only vendors but also employees. In employee contracts and handbooks, it should be clear that the company owns company information and data. The police should also be involved, especially if it is understood on how much data is being collected because the police force understands the law behind data collection and how to protect your customers in the event of a hacking.
Business owners need to be ahead of the hackers. The owners need to ask themselves; How likely is my business to be hacked? What would hackers want from my data? How much is it going to be cost to clean up the mess after the business is hacked? What security measures can I put in place to protect my business and my customers?
Businesses, consider your privacy policies. There is a solid history of the courts honoring businesses privacy policies when bankruptcy or buyouts happen. If you are a business owner and you are reading this post the number one thing I want you to take from this post is to consider and revise all of your contracts, with the thought of data privacy at the forefront. More specifically vendor agreements, make sure to outline what can and cannot be done with the data that is collected from your customers and who owns it. Also, make sure to consider the security of the facilities that your business's data is stored. One reason a customer could choose to use your services over another business could be the security they feel when giving their information to you.
Consumers, you should be aware that any information that you are giving to any business or company, it could be compromised. Even including fingerprints! This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t ever share your information or go off the grid in fear of having your information stolen. What I am trying to get across to you is to be choosy with whom you share your private information with. I understand that if you want to work for the government, you have no choice but to give them just about everything, but you can choose where you consume products based on who has better consumer protection policies if the protection of your information is important to you.