Sometimes we register for things online. We fill out online credit applications. We leave paper trails at big box stores. We use reward programs and we even fill out contest ballots. But, in this day and age of identity theft, credit fraud, personal security issues and sophisticated scams, it’s critically important to protect our privacy.
“Threats to the privacy rights of Canadians will intensify in 2008 unless organizations resolve to do more to protect personal information,” warns Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Jennifer Stoddart.
More than 162 million records were compromised by theft or loss in 2007, triple the number of data losses for the previous year, according to a USA Today analysis of breaches in the US, Canada and other countries. This alarming trend can be reversed if businesses and individuals begin to recognize the value of personal information.
Here are some tips to help.
• Use encryptions and passwords to protect personal information on mobile devices such as laptops and cell phones.
• Never provide sensitive information over the telephone or Internet to someone you don’t know – including your Social Insurance Number, home address or
phone number, bank account or insurance policy numbers, bank balance, mother’s maiden name, or medical information.
• Ensure credit card processing equipment masks complete card numbers on receipts. Complete credit card numbers should not be printed on receipts for electronically processed transactions. Businesses were supposed to switch to electronic processing equipment that masks card numbers – for example, by printing Xs – by the end of 2007.
• Always be as discreet as possible when filling out forms, whether online or on paper. Provide very general information when you can. For example, responding “over 18” or “younger than 65” when asked your age. Decide what information is for marketing and what’s really necessary to complete the transaction.
• Remember that cellular, mobile and cordless phones are not secure. And, you should think of email the same way you’d think of a postcard. Remember email can be forwarded, intentionally or not, to the whole world. Be careful how you respond and what you write in the first place. Do not ever use telephones and computers at work for sensitive or embarrassing communications.
• Think twice before posting personal information on social networking sites. Many Facebook and Myspace users think of these sites as private, when, in reality, the information they post can often be seen by just about anyone.
• When you’re asked to sign authorizations to disclose your personal information, date the form or add an expiration date and cross out language that makes the authorization too broad or general. You can also revoke the authorization in writing if you reconsider.
• Phrase your request for privacy to elicit a positive response. Don’t say, “I refuse...” Say, “Because I’m concerned about my privacy, I choose to keep that information to myself...” Most clerks will identify with your concerns. Be persistent and be prepared.
• Protect the confidentiality of your Social Insurance Number. Just say no. Most of the time, your SIN is not necessary to complete an application. Any request for your number when the transaction has tax consequences – like getting a job or opening a bank account or buying a house – is legitimate. Canada’s privacy laws offer you a choice about providing personal information that is not necessary for a transaction.
• To further protect your privacy, “think in twos”. Rip in half any documents with vital personal information on them. Deposit them in separate side-by-side trash containers. Empty each trash can at alternating times, so that these sensitive documents can not be reconstructed after you dispose of them. Or use a paper shredder. Papers containing personal information don’t belong in the recycling bin.
• Use two credit cards and devote one, with a very low limit, for online use and one for personal use. If something goes wrong online, you can promptly cancel that credit card with no inconvenience.
• Of course, it’s important to pick your battles. Not every collection of personal information or every intrusion is worth the energy to fight. However, you should err on the side of protectiveness, because you cannot anticipate which information about you will become crucial in the future.
One of the richest men in America, Paul Mellon, once said, “The idea of power never appealed to me. What has appealed to me is privacy. To me, privacy is the most valuable asset that money can buy.”
For more information on protecting or preserving privacy visit www.privcom.gc.ca.
2600 John Street, Unit 207, Markham, ON L3R 3W3 T: 905.475.5222 F: 905.475.6369
