Cyber security and your responsibilities

A growing number of entities that we interact with online collect and process our personal data, including online retailers, internet service providers, employers, banks, credit card companies, etc. Organisations use this data for information such as past individual purchase behaviour or electricity consumption.Personal data in vast amounts is collected by sensors in smartphones, tablets, wearable technologies and even sensor-enabled clothing, cars, homes and offices. This data is generally used for maximising the profits/benefits of the collecting organisation, and to observe individual behaviour and learn how to improve products and services.However, criminals cash in on these opportunities and target the data for criminal activities. Digital security incidents affecting the confidentiality of personal data are commonly referred to as ‘data breaches’ and these lately have increased in terms of scale and profile.Let’s look at ways a data breach has been reported, from phone and banking details being exposed to travel plans for thousands affected as an airport check-in system failed.

• Nearly 157,000 had data breached in TalkTalk cyber-attack
• Banks are hit by largest cyber-crime ever detected
• Why do bank IT systems keep failing?
• Passengers face chaos due to airport check-in system failure

Your task

Can you identify the impact to an individual of an organisation’s data breach from one of the articles above?