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Kira Rakova

Kira Rakova is Communications Manager at Undatify. She is passionate about using social media for social good, mental health and empowering people to make meaningful choices about their digital lives.

Latest stories by Kira

privacy job hunting

Job hunting with privacy could be the secret of your success

  • Opinions
  • min read
    • Job hunting has become an almost public activity, but it doesn't need to expose you and your data. 70 percent of employers look candidates up on social media sites, and 66 percent look for them using search engines, a 2018 CareerBuilder survey found. Employers checked candidates' online presence was consistent with their resume and looked for dodgy photographs, among other things. But when employers couldn't find a candidate online, nearly half said they'd be less likely to invite that person to interview. When you apply for roles, you share your personal information with potential employers. But you'll also need to share it with job posting websites, networking sites and recruiting agencies. It helps make sure the right people see your resume and protects your job search activities from anyone who doesn't need to know, like a current employer. 1.   Create a separate email address for job searching The more you share your email address, the more likely you'll receive spam. It's not just annoying, spam is often used as a way to 'phish' information, and these emails can look like an official email from a potential employer. Include your separate email address on your resume and use it only when job searching. As well as protecting your primary email address, you'll find it easier to keep track of your applications. If you'd rather have everything in one inbox, consider email forwarding. Make an alias email (or several) and set up the accounts to forward to your primary email address. You don't need your own domain, although it's useful to have one to build your brand. You can create aliases in Outlook or Gmail. 2.   Make your usernames unique While the importance of unique, complex passwords is often mentioned, the importance of unique usernames is overlooked. Most people have two usernames they continuously reuse, often simply adding digits, such as their birthday, to new usernames. Reusing a username makes you easier to identify online. Arizona State University researchers were able to identify two-thirds of users by comparing their usernames in different online communities. To help prevent potential employers coming across your personal accounts, vary your usernames or, at least, use a different one for personal and professional accounts. 3.   Whenever you give out information, read the privacy policy Before you apply for a job, find out about the organization's privacy practices. How do they handle candidates' data? Do they collect information from third parties? How long will they keep your data? You should also do the same when dealing with recruitment agencies. Expect to see differences in privacy policy between them. For example, Volt agency keeps your data for 24 months while Jam Recruitment stores your data for seven years. 4.   Prevent businesses from sharing your data Organizations are increasingly collecting data about their potential and actual employees. An Accenture study across 13 countries found 62 percent of businesses use new sources (such as on-sold wearable tech, app or social media data) to collect information about the workforce. Still, only 30 percent of executives believe their organization is highly responsible in using the data. Companies may still be able to use your data even if you didn't land a job with them, or you quit awhile back. Check your privacy settings on sites like LinkedIn to make sure you're not allowing them to share your data. Depending on where you or the organization is, you may be able to delete your data. For example, Europeans can do this under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California residents under the California Consumer Privacy Act. These four steps help protect your privacy, but also make your job search more effective and organized. Taking charge of your data helps make sure you make a good impression with the right people. Good luck with your search for the right role.
manage data leak

Infographic: Five vital steps to deal with a data breach

  • Data and privacy
  • min read
    • Things can be frantic when you're dealing with a data breach. While swiftly diagnosing the problem and communicating clearly with everyone who needs to know, it's easy to miss something that could have serious consequences later. Use these five pointers to make sure you've done the right thing after a data breach. 1.  Assess the situation First, assess the data breach's risk to customers. Risk assessment lets you decide the next steps, including whether to report the breach. If it's a high risk to customers, you must inform them without undue delay, perhaps even before reporting to authorities. 2.  Be transparent and helpful Don't try to cover up the breach or hide details from those affected. If you hide things, you may see customers losing trust in your business on top of negative news coverage. When you tell customers what happened, give them advice on what to do next. 3.  Document everything Document every data breach, even if you don't have to report it. Record what happened, the steps you took and why the breach was reported or not reported. 4.  Learn from it Once you identify the cause, fix it. Next, make sure all staff receive training in how to prevent future breaches. Human error causes most data breaches. 5.  Make sure you notify everyone affected If you're processing data for other organizations, don't forget to tell them about the breach. They will have steps they must take too. Using these five pointers after a data breach will help your business get back on its feet sooner rather than later. Communicating swiftly and clearly with customers and partners is all-important in limiting the breach's impact on your business. It may happen to even the most cybersecurity-conscious organizations, but there's still a lot you can do to prepare. Equipping your employees with cybersecurity skills and knowledge is crucial to ensuring your customers' data stays safe in future.
marketing data privacy

Great marketers do more than just follow privacy law

  • Opinions
  • min read
    • Why is privacy the word on everyone's lips today? Perhaps because according to the Kaspersky Global Privacy Report 2020, a third (34 percent) of consumers have had someone access their private information without consent. And that's just those who know it happened. Governments around the world – including in Europe, the US and Brazil –have brought in new personal data protection laws. Others, like Japan, are being revised. Regulating new technologies, like biometrics and facial recognition, is controversial because it extends the fine line between privacy to protect society and state surveillance. Data breaches are becoming more common and more expensive. In 2019, the average data breach cost the affected business 1.4 million US dollars. The new rules of marketing Marketers now have new rules to follow when collecting data about website visitors, sending marketing email and using customer relationship management (CRM) software. Not complying means hefty fines and reputational damage. In 2020, the Italian Data Protection Office fined a telecommunications company over 27 million euros for making marketing calls without consent. On the bright side, we may be increasingly trusting and engaging with businesses that respect our privacy. A 2018 Harvard Business School study found customers were 40 percent more likely to visit a website's recommended products when wording made clear the recommendations were informed by their browsing behavior. Similarly, in a 2020 study by Cisco, three in four companies said complying with data protection laws had increased their customers' loyalty and trust. Marketing must adapt to new regulation, but it looks like there is potential for this change to make marketing better. Laws marketers should know about As privacy legislations cover more of the globe, it's challenging to keep up with what applies to your company. Here's a primer on legislation already out there or coming soon. Europe: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) The GDPR applies to all organizations in the European Economic Area (EEA) or that process its citizens' personal data. Data protection authorities for different countries in Europe regularly publish clarifying guidelines, such as the Irish Data Protection Commission's 2020 guide on how and when websites may use cookies – text files containing users' data downloaded onto their device, used for personalizing content. Brazil: Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD) Like GDPR, Brazil's new data protection law (going into effect in 2021) applies to all organizations operating in Brazil, offering services or goods to the Brazilian market or processing data of those living in Brazil. Unlike GDPR, LGPD does not explicitly address marketing. Nonetheless, marketers with Brazilian customers should understand it, because it directs how they should handle customer data, including sensitive personal data, such as health or political preference. California Consumer Protection Acts (CCPA) California's new data protection law came into force on in January 2020. It applies to companies that operate in California, US and make 25 million US dollars, make more than half their money selling user data or gather data on more than 50,000 consumers, households or devices. It regulates some marketing activity. For example, companies must let users opt out of sale of their data with a clear "do not sell my personal information" link. It also sets out rules for how companies may store and handle customer data. When marketers don't follow the rules While making your marketing privacy-friendly could improve customer loyalty, failing to comply with data protection laws can be costly. Heavy fines Most famously, French data protection authority Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) fined Google 50 million euro. According to CNIL, Google didn't give users clear enough information about how their data would be used and didn't give them enough control over its use. The cost of non-compliance varies. Under GDPR, the maximum fine is 20 million euros or four percent of your total worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher. Under the new Brazilian law, the maximum fine for each violation is 50 million reais (nearly US$1 million), plus daily penalties for not stopping violations after an order from authorities. Keep in mind that you can also be fined under several different regulations at once, so 20 million euros under the GDPR and 50 million Brazilian reais under the LGPD for a similar violation. Being fined in one country or region doesn't exempt you from further prosecutions. It's not just big, high-profile businesses like Google getting stung either. European data protection authorities issued over 428 million euros in fines in 2019. Legal hot water On top of fines, companies that don't protect customer privacy risk being sued by customers or governments. Facebook has had its revenue affected by privacy lawsuits. Aside from financial pain, the bigger risk is damage to reputation. Despite its marketing campaigns trying to fix its tarnished reputation, many no longer trust Facebook with their personal information. Making marketing more privacy-positive Getting creative can make your marketing more privacy-oriented and appealing to customers. You'll also need to watch for where others have fallen foul of the law. Accept and follow the law After GDPR required cookie consent from users, many turned to dark patterns: Interface designs that try to trick the user into doing something like agreeing to marketing emails or consenting to cookies. In some cases, websites use dark patterns to prevent users reading a privacy policy or opting out of sale of their personal information. Dark pattern techniques violate data protection laws. Companies that use them can be fined or see their reputation damaged. Tumblr learned the hard way when people began Tweeting about dark patterns in their cookie consent form. Give privacy options, even when you don't have to Build customer trust by giving them privacy options, even when the law doesn't require it. For example, if you're running a contest on social media, let people enter privately with a direct message or through a website form. While this may decrease numbers of tags and hashtags that increase your contest's reach, it builds a privacy-friendly reputation and increases participation. Ask for consent Beyond cookie banners and newsletter opt-ins, ask customers for consent whenever you run a marketing campaign. For instance, when gathering feedback through a survey, ask participants' consent to use their feedback publicly, even if it's anonymous. Asking shows you respect their privacy and preferences. Protect your customers' data To put customer privacy first and follow data protection law, you must invest in cybersecurity. Even one data breach can lower trust in your company. Reflect on how you collect and use personal data, how it's stored and what tools you use. Find out if your customer management system has reported data breaches recently or your email marketing platform has been fined for privacy violations. Keep up your education about privacy Privacy laws and industry standards will evolve. Educate yourself, constantly. A good place to start is Undatify's blog (a Kaspersky Innovation Hub project), for explanations of data protection law, privacy advice and monthly news roundups. Knowing what's right will give you confidence you're doing your job right and treating customers' privacy with the care it deserves.
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About Secure Futures

Secure Futures magazine is your go-to business guide for opinions, trends and insight into the world of technology and cybersecurity. We help your business to bring on the future. Brought to you by Kaspersky, the global cybersecurity experts.

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