Sensitive personal data refers to a set of personal information that must be handled with extreme caution. It can be defined as personal data that contains information about an individual’s race or ethnic origin,
their political viewpoints, religious convictions or other comparable convictions, whether they belong to a labor union, information regarding physical or mental health, sexual activities, offenses, philosophical beliefs, genetic data, biometric data, etc. Sensitive personal information should be kept separate from other personal information, preferably in a secured drawer or filing cabinet.
The three most important types of sensitive data are personal information, business information, and classified information.
Personal Information
Personal information, also known as personally identifiable information, is any data that is connected to an individual and can be used to commit identity theft against that individual. Examples include social security number, maiden name, etc Having sensitive information like this makes it easier to apply for a credit card in their name, while knowing a person’s passport and visa number makes it easier to fabricate a document.
Business Information
Any data that might put the company at risk if shared with a rival or the broader public is classified as sensitive business information. Information like intellectual property, trade secrets, or merger plans, for example, might all be detrimental to the business if it fell into the hands of a competitor. Furthermore, a compromise of critical corporate data, such as customer and supplier records or cardholder information, might result in significant financial penalties. The organization would have to spend money to answer back to and recoup from the violation, and its credibility among customers and clients would suffer as a result.
Classified information
Information that has been classified
Information that has been kept private at a legislative level is confidential info. It usually falls within one of four sensitivity levels (restricted, confidential, secret, or top secret), limiting who has access to the material. Just as the publication of sensitive personal and corporate information can result in personal or organizational harm, a breach of classified information can jeopardize a government’s goals and worldwide reputation.
How to protect sensitive data?
The most effective technique to safeguard your data from unauthorized access is to encrypt it. Encryption is the process of converting data into a format that can only be read by someone who has access to a decryption key. To encrypt data that you save on your machine, you can use a variety of services.
What is GDPR?
GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation. It is a new set of regulations aimed at giving EU people more control over their personal information. Its goal is to make the regulatory environment for businesses easier to navigate so that individuals and businesses in the European Union can reap the full benefits of the digital economy. The revisions are intended to reflect the world we live in now, bringing laws and obligations across Europe up to date for the internet-connected age, especially those relating to personal data, privacy, and consent.