Sensitive data is a type of personal data whose disclosure can lead to discrimination, abuse, or harm to the individual. It can be defined as personal data that reveals racial or ethnic origin, religious, philosophical, or moral beliefs, sexual life, political opinions, membership in parties, unions, associations, or religious, philosophical, or political organizations, as well as any data capable of revealing an individual’s health and genetic conditions.

Companies can retain sensitive data such as personally identifiable information (such as date of birth, address, age, gender, and contact information), location information, health information, banking data, employment records, credit and debt information, fingerprints, criminal records, and identity information.

What are the general principles that govern sensitive data?

1. Confidentiality: Sensitive data should be protected from unauthorized access.
2. Integrity: Sensitive data must be protected against unauthorized modifications.
3. Availability: Sensitive data should be accessible to authorized users.
4. Traceability: Changes made to sensitive data should be tracked.
5. Security: Sensitive data must be protected against cyberattacks.
6. Control: Access to sensitive data should be limited to authorized individuals.
7. Responsibility: Organizations must be responsible for the security of sensitive data.

Companies should diligently follow these principles to ensure that sensitive data is handled securely and in compliance with applicable regulations. The general principles provide guidance for the security of sensitive data, protecting companies from potential penalties and legal liability. Additionally, the general principles can help companies ensure the confidentiality, integrity, traceability, and availability of their business data, contributing to protecting the company’s reputation and data security.

How can companies ensure the confidentiality of data? By employing the techniques mentioned below, solid data confidentiality can be achieved for information stored in tracking archives:

1. Implement a strong authentication system.
2. Use encryption when storing or transferring sensitive data.
3. Limit access to sensitive data to authorized members of the organization.
4. Employ a firewall to protect sensitive data from unauthorized external access.
5. Use a threat monitoring and detection solution to identify and block unauthorized access attempts.
6. Utilize identity management solutions to control access to sensitive data.
7. Use configuration management solutions to track changes made to sensitive data.

How to ensure the lawfulness of processing

To ensure the legality of data processing, companies must follow the provisions contained in data protection laws. This involves providing clear information on how personal data is collected, used, stored, and transferred, as well as ensuring that such activities are conducted lawfully. Companies must also ensure that they have the appropriate consent from the data subject before initiating any data processing.

Sensitive Data: The Issue of Consent

The importance of consent in personal data processing is currently a highly topical issue. Data protection regulations have been strengthened by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into effect in 2018, and the need for adequate consent in data processing is one of its key points. Consent is crucial for the lawful processing of personal data. As a manifestation of unequivocal will, it must be explicit, specific, and informed. Consent should be requested in a clear manner, and adequate information should be provided on how the data will be processed.

Furthermore, consent should always be revocable. Consent should be obtained before any processing of personal data begins. For instance, when gathering information about a customer or user, it is necessary to provide clear information on how their data will be used. Consent must be obtained in a manner that allows it to be recorded and proven to have been given. Consent is an essential part of GDPR compliance. Lack of consent can result in punitive sanctions. For example, non-compliant processing can lead to fines of up to €20 million or 4% of the organization’s annual turnover.

Transparency in Personal Data Processing

The era of Big Data is generating a vast amount of sensitive and personal data. This data is collected from many sources, including websites, mobile devices, social media, and more.

With the increasing volume of data being collected, it has become increasingly important for companies to ensure transparency in the processing of sensitive data. Transparency in the processing of sensitive data has become a fundamental part of data security. It is essential for companies to be transparent about how they handle their customers’ sensitive data. This means companies must ensure that information owners know precisely how and when their data is protected. Companies must ensure that all their security systems comply with current regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The GDPR, as previously mentioned, is a European law that governs the processing of personal and sensitive data. The law imposes certain obligations on companies that process sensitive data, including transparency. Transparency must be ensured at every stage of the data management process, from collection to storage. Additionally, companies must ensure that their customers are always informed about how their data is processed. In particular, companies must provide customers with a clear explanation of their privacy policies, including access, modification, and deletion of data.

If customers have questions or concerns, companies must also provide them with adequate support. This means they must implement appropriate data security measures, such as encryption, computer system security, staff training, and more.

Transparency in the processing of sensitive data is an important part of data protection. Companies must ensure they are transparent and provide their customers with the information they need to feel comfortable with how their data is managed. Additionally, companies must ensure that sensitive data is protected and securely maintained. This is the only way to ensure the security of sensitive data.