What Do Data Breaches, Globalization and Unprotected Sex Have in Common?

The Human Factor

Ultimately this isn’t about what a few companies should or shouldn’t have done when it comes to securing data. The reality is that even when companies employ stringent security protocols, people aren’t perfect and sometimes they make mistakes or are derelict in their responsibilities. But because of the globalization of information, handing over client information to third parties is now just part of doing business. Many organizations employ companies to manage things like email marketing projects (we haven’t, but will in the future), because they can’t do that kind of thing in-house. Hopefully they do their due diligence and asked the right questions about security, but there’s always a risk that a person who they don’t employ will make a mistake. It’s a scary proposition, because regardless of the third-party affiliation, the buck ultimately stops with the company that manages the relationship. As an owner of a couple companies myself, it’s the kind of thing that sometimes keeps me up at night.

So what can you, the consumer, do?

It’s clear that you can’t prevent identity theft. You can do everything right and still be on the wrong database at the wrong moment and suddenly you are in a world of hurt. What you can do is minimize your risk of exposure, employing many of the techniques I have written about. You can enroll in services and engage in practices that can help you detect as quickly as possible that the integrity of your sensitive information has been compromised. You can set up a damage control program to deal with the problem quickly and efficiently should the need arise. You can demand that the institutions with which you do business become as protective of your personal data as they are covetous of their trade secrets and intellectual property. And finally, you can elect people, who appoint people who respect the sanctity of your identity.

[Resource: 12 Tips for Protecting Your Identity]