Customer information, purchasing information, credit card numbers, and related personal data are housed on databases. This week’s discussion is certainly timely in light of the all the security breaches in government, entertainment, corporation, and social networks. Data we entrust to corporations and even to our medical providers is not secure as we would like, despite to best efforts on part of data possessors to the contrary. This week I participated in another 5K race benefiting the Palliative Care and Hospice Community of the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Certainly an organization like hospice use personal data for most altruistic intentions. However, what measures do these often cash strapped firms deploy to protect their databases. I received an e-mail from the director the hospice organization informing me of the race about three weeks ago. Considering the topics of this week does heighten a level of concern of my personal data. Military organization, large corporations, and other institutions are hacked constantly. These organizations have the money for network security protections, but are barely keeping pace with cyber- criminals. Smaller organizations like non-profits barely have the funds to operate their programs let alone have the funds to afford network security protections. We live in a new age where our personal data is at risk. So we must be vigilant in protecting our information by using strong passwords, using anti-virus software, and only acknowledging e-mails from people and organizations we know are legitimate.
Adrian Justis
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