How to Secure Your Digital Life

1. How to Secure Your Digital Life As digital records, accounts and passwords become more integrated into daily life, they come with a heightened risk of data breaches. Though fully protecting one’s personal information and digital accounts may seem unmanageable, there are steps consumers can take to protect their digital information, said professor Maritza Johnson, who created the course “Usable Privacy and Security” for the UC Berkeley School of Information’s Master of Information and Cybersecurity (MICS). “With everything going on in the world with COVID, it feels hard to ask people to prioritize security as yet another thing that they should be taking care of,” Johnson said. “But of course, it’s something that everybody should be taking care of because if you don’t, then who will?” What Has Changed Recently as Far as Data Security Is Concerned? As the volume of digital accounts being created has increased, so too have the number of data breaches. Widespread apathy around digital security helps create conditions that can lead to online privacy violations.According to NordPass, 70 percent Passwordless MFA of people have more than 10 password-protected accounts, and 20 percent have more than 50External link:open_in_new. At least 3,932 data breaches in 2020 exposed more than 37 billion recordsExternal link:open_in_new—a 141-percent increase in the number of records compromised from 2019, as reported by Risk Based Security.More accounts create more targets for hackers, Johnson said.“There are more systems. There are more websites. There are more devices, more people using them. There’s more money involved. Hackers are more motivated to actually go and exploit vulnerabilities,” Johnson said.This can leave people questioning what they can realistically do to protect themselves and whether they should stop using certain technology altogether.However, those concerns do not always lead people to take action to protect their online information. A 2019 Pew Research Center report showed that the majority of Americans felt they had little control

2. over information collected about themExternal link:open_in_new by corporate and government entities.81%of U.S. adults said they have very little control over the data companies collect.81%of U.S. adults said the risks of companies collecting data outweigh the benefits.59%of U.S. adults had little or no understanding of what companies do with the data they collect.79%of U.S. adults were not confident companies would publicly admit mistakes and take responsibility when their data is misused. What Has Been Done to Secure Private Data?Several recent pieces of legislation affect the security of private data. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)External link:open_in_new was passed in 2018. Under this law, California residents have the right to: Know about information a business collects about them, and how it is used and shared. Delete information collected about them. Opt out of the sale of their information. Non- discrimination for exercising these rights.The law does not require companies to disclose data breaches.General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) The UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)External link:open_in_new was also passed in 2018. Under this law’s seven key principlesExternal link:open_in_new, the GDPR requires that personal data collected is:Processed lawfully, fairly and transparently. Collected and processed for specific legitimate purposes.Limited to necessary data points Accurate and updated. Stored for a limited amount of time. Kept secure Protected by the controller of the data.The GDPR also outlines stiff fines for unreported breaches and other violations. Digital Security, Privacy and AnonymityIt can also be helpful for consumers to understand the key distinctions between privacy, security and anonymity.