Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
"Personal information" includes data that can identify you or be used to contact you
your name, address, phone number or email. It's also information that are national
identifiers such as a
social security number, or can provide access to your money,
such as a bank account number. Data breaches seem to be in the news a lot
recently
When there is a data breach, sometimes criminals are able to electronically
steal data.
That may cause problems for you, such as identify theft or
financial harm. The wireless industry is constantly working to safeguard your
information
as technology and cyberthreats continue to evolve.
While cyberattacks may be new to you and me, wireless providers have been working
to safeguard wireless networks for decades.
Today wireless providers, are investing millions of dollars
every year into cybersecurity measures and protections
to stay ahead of cyberthieves and hackers. Consumers play an important role, too.
Be mindful of WHO you are giving your information to, and if possible,
read their privacy policy beforehand so you know HOW
they will use this information and with WHOM they are sharing it. When consumers
sign up for a service or purchase a product, and they give their personal
information to a company,
they expect that information to be governed by the same privacy
and security rules and procedures regardless of what kind of companies
handle the data.
That's reasonable, but sadly it doesn't always work that way.
CTIA believes that all companies collecting personal data
should be subject to the same data protection standards. One way to do that
is to
update privacy rules and regulations to account for changes in technology
as well as the various array of companies handling consumer data.
American consumers deserve a single
national standard for companies to protect their data and inform them
of any breaches
instead of varying degrees of protection under current federal and state laws.
The present system is unnecessarily complex and requires companies to expend
significant time
and resources to understand and comply with the existing legal regime
resources that could be otherwise be used to keep personal data secure
and to effectively notify consumers in the event of a breach that causes harm.
For more information on what the wireless industry is doing to protect
consumers and safeguard networks,
visit CTIA.org today.