Digital privacy at risk – knowing me, knowing you

cyber-security-2bWhether we know it or not, hackers may know us very well indeed, Andrew Weaver from Digital Identity NZ warns.

“[Many] people simply do not know what organisations are doing with the personal information that is entrusted to them, and they are concerned about who has access to it and who may be making money from it,” he says. “We recently commissioned a survey which found that 89 percent of people were worried about their data being shared with a third party without their permission.”

Speaking at the Seamless Asia summit in Singapore, Mr Weaver provided more alarming statistics regarding privacy (or the lack thereof) online.

“Only one in 20 New Zealanders feels confident about their rights when dealing with organisations online… The figures are more disturbing for those who do have an understanding of security and privacy concerns, with 68 percent saying they find it hard to protect themselves online because they do not have the necessary tools to do so.”

Emphasising the need for businesses to better protect personal information, Mr Weaver asserted that confidence is key as the global e-commerce sector continues to grow.

“Our research showed a very large gap between what people want to see and what they are offered now. This highlights some significant paradigm shifts that we must address with some urgency. Personal data must be the property of every individual.”