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Privacy
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Organizations that maintain personal data are spending more
money and time on improving security, but many are finding that investments are
too late or insufficient.
Various watchdog groups report that the number of
compromised records in 2007 reached 162 million records worldwide. The groups
reported that 2007 was a record year for the number of privacy security
breaches.
While the numbers are interesting, there are two issues
worthy of note. First, the numbers provided by the watch dog groups are
primarily “reported” breaches. The likelihood that there were millions of
additional breaches that never made it into the public view is quite likely.
Secondly, one of the most telling statistics is the high
level of breaches caused by inappropriate handling or human error, compared to
attempts by hackers to compromise data. While security as to outside threats
must continue to be a priority, organizations must give equal importance to
appropriate training and security practices for all personnel who handle
sensitive data.
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