Security · Mixed

Privacy by design: collect less

In one line: The cheapest way to protect information is not to collect it — and every field collected should have a purpose, an owner and a deletion date.

Minimization

Go over forms, logs and analytics tools and ask of each field what's done with it. Fields collected “just in case” are a liability with no return.

Where possible, store an aggregate rather than a detail, or a masked value rather than a full identifier.

Lifecycle

For each data type: purpose, legal basis if relevant, retention time, and how it's deleted — including in backups and secondary systems. A deletion done only in the primary database isn't a deletion.

People's rights

Requests to view, correct and delete will arrive. If each requires a week of manual work, build the path once. And when transferring information to vendors — know to whom, why, and under which agreement.

Going deeper

Separate direct identifiers from behavioural data, and keep the linking key in a protected, controlled place. That way a leak of one store doesn't expose people, and you can give analysis access without giving identity access. In cases with specific regulatory requirements, it's worth getting appropriate professional advice.

Privacy Data

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