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Hackers and data breaches are at an all-time high

No. 22: Bringing you the news that matters in video privacy and security

A note from our Editor

Hi all,

Data breaches have hit a record high as hackers are becoming increasingly inventive in the vulnerabilities they are exploiting - the worlds of data protection and security are being forced together to provide additional safeguards in the storage, usage and processing of personal data.

Swathes of sensitive data are now being collected, shared and sold each day across the globe - these collections are open to loss from hackers, accidental deletion or being misplaced. Uber have just been hit with a fine for violating 1.2 million Australians' privacy, whilst the social media "Big Three" (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) are coming under increasing scrutiny around their data sharing practices across their products. The average cost of data breaches has been reported to have now reached an average of £3M per incident.

In the healthcare sector, despite HIPAA's data legislation relaxation in the US through the pandemic, Telehealth providers are now focusing on the security of their infrastructures, in a bid to protect against data breaches and to better manage the sensitive data they are now capturing directly through video.

The worlds of data security, data protection, analytics requirements and people's freedoms are all colliding across a wide and growing set of business sectors. Businesses need a responsible approach to how they capture, manage, store and protect personal data, so they can extract the value they need without compromising individuals' privacy.

As always, please let me know if you have any feedback on any of the articles or want to see any other topics covered.

Emma


News

Hackers are getting smarter, and data breaches are getting more expensive

With shifts to increased remote working and the rapid adoption of cloud technologies, the average data breach cost has risen to roughly £3million per incident globally. Meanwhile, hackers are turning to more and more obscure programming languages when it comes to coding malware to avoid detection.

IT Pro: Data breach costs surge to record high in 2021

IT Pro: Hackers turning to ‘exotic’ languages for next-gen malware, report warns


The growing effectiveness of retail video surveillance

Retailers' use of existing CCTV and video monitoring systems are now being proven to provide bottom line value to retailers. Retailers are moving towards using CCTV along with machine learning for not only video analytics, but also to keep stores "COVID safe" and reduce retail shrinkage.

Security News Desk: New retail sector security trends report reveals effectiveness of video security

Retail Week: How retailers are harnessing data, analytics, and machine learning to boost CX


Uber breaches Australian privacy laws

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has determined that Uber had breached the Australian Privacy Act back in 2017, by not taking reasonable steps to protect the privacy of an estimated 1.2 million Australians. Furthermore, they failed to investigate and disclose the breach in a timely manner.

Jurist: Australia finds Uber violated privacy laws, rewarded cyber criminals

National Law Review: Uber found to have breached Australians’ Privacy following 2016 hack


What data do the big Social-Media-Three have on you?

If you're on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, then it is clear by now that they have a huge amount of data on you. But what do they actually share between them - and how do they actually use said personal data?

WIRED: All the data WhatsApp and Instagram send to Facebook 

USA Today Tech: Instagram’s privacy changes: Will they actually keep creepy adults away from young users?


How Telehealth's expansion is now focusing on security

Since December 2020, the HIPAA data legislation has been relaxed due to the increased use in Telehealth services to help support the pandemic, paired with the influx in data breaches - Telehealth platforms are now focusing on their security: but how?

Health Tech Magazine: Why healthcare is focused on Telehealth Security


AI Snippet of the Week

Using ML to prevent extreme weather-related road issues

With more extreme weather conditions becoming more frequent, it seems that preventative measures that could cause road accidents is the way forward. Machine Learning is one way in which civic leaders and government officials are looking towards to help assess a key growing problem: overgrown vegetation.

Forbes: Machine Learning to combat increased road issues related to extreme weather


Policy Updates

Biometric focused innovation to deal with organised crime and security

The use of biometric data has been rightly argued over by ethicists for a while now - the European Commission has openly declared facial recognition shouldn't be used when it comes to public surveillance; however, it seems that biometric focused innovation could be the answer to help prevent organised crime and security.

Biometric Update: EU calls for biometric-focused innovation to combat organised crime and border security


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