Data integrity is the overall accuracy, completeness and consistency of data. The term also refers to the safety of data in regards to regulatory compliance and security. It is maintained by a collection of processes, rules, and standards implemented during the design phase. When the integrity of data is secure, the information stored in a database will remain complete, accurate, and reliable no matter how long it’s stored or how often it’s accessed.

Even in the world of technology, safety of data is different with so many people working from home or remote locations. Organizations have had to think outside the normal working conditions to ensure their information, resources and data are safe.

Individuals and corporations have much at stake when it comes to data privacy. Most consumers have come to rely on the convenience of digital services, making them willing to exchange the use of their personal data for the ease of personalized experiences as they go about their daily digital lives. However, with the seemingly daily news of data breaches and cyberattacks, that trust is eroding.

Protecting your personal data has certainly never been more important. A recent survey revealed that baby boomers (birthdates early-to-mid 1940s to early 1960s) and millennials (1980s to early 2000s) disagree in their attitudes toward federal cyber programs.

Both baby boomers and millennials have access to the same technology. However, the behavior towards technology and its usage differs between the two generations.

Protecting your personal data has never been more important. In a post-Cambridge Analytica world, the followup question is whether businesses that rely on data can assure customers their personal information is secure. Add to this mix the fact that collection of customer data became more difficult when the European Union implemented new privacy rules under its General Data Protection Regulation.

When it comes to the Internet and potential security risks lying in the darkness of the cyber world, consumers need understandable rules of the road.  Restrictions should be risk-based depending on the sensitivity of the data. Consumers should be able to choose how their data is used. Consumers and businesses would be better served by greater clarity and heightened levels of consumer consent.

Melody K. Smith
