7 Ways to Protect Data in the COVID-Era

Feature
Innovation Snapshot
7 Ways to Protect Data in the COVID-Era

7 Ways to Protect Data in the COVID-Era

Innovation Snapshot

With the ongoing pandemic, and Data Privacy Day (#PrivacyAware) in mind, here are seven of our top data security innovations.

With the nucleus of most peoples’ lives shifting location, we’ve seen exponential growth in digital security requirements. Businesses suddenly had to oversee vastly distributed networks of employees. Families had to organise internet services for a huge swell in online traffic.

Overall, levels of comfort with some automation and artificial intelligence, namely via virtual personal assistants, have been rising amongst the general public. Although privacy was a concern for many, for millions of others it wasn’t a pressing issue. News of the hackability of home security cameras and other devices, combined with the growth of fake news and knowledge of deep fake technologies, suddenly made the issues of data security and privacy personally relevant.

Smart appliances are becoming commonplace, with AI-powered refrigerators, coffee makers, hoovers and dishwashers already providing households with another level in sustainable efficiency. IoT technology is growing at a rate of 15 to 20 per cent each year. As the range of its application widens, so too does the collection of associated data, which further compounds the challenges of protecting online information.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a boon to cybercriminals. By November 2020, phishing attempts throughout the year had increased by 220 per cent. More than half of all fraudulent sites masqueraded as some of the biggest tech names on the planet, including Apple, Microsoft, Netflix and Paypal.

With the ongoing pandemic, and Data Privacy Day (#PrivacyAware) in mind, here are seven of our top data security innovations.

1. IDENTIFICATION GADGET PROVIDES ACCESS TO DEVICES VIA THE MOUTH

A team of design graduates from the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London developed a wearable device that can provide “surveillance-proof” authentication using mouth biometrics.

The device, called Stealth, was developed with the aim of making it harder for hackers to replicate out-in-the-open biometric data such as fingerprints or facial recognition, as well as vulnerable systems like manual passwords.

Stealth would be worn on the roof of the mouth and functions by identifying the individual via the unique ridges present in the mouth’s palate. In order to unlock particular devices, a sense code would be sent and users must perform a certain pre-defined, intentional sensory tongue gesture with the tongue in response, like pressing or sliding.

2. SMART HARDWARE SYSTEM ENCRYPTS ALL ONLINE HOME DEVICES

Created by an ad-tech industry veteran, Winston is an easy-to-install, smart hardware encryption system that protects users’ online privacy. Once running, the hardware filter protects every connected device in the home.

The system works with all websites, devices and streaming services, including Amazon’s Alexa, webcams, smart TVs and Wi-Fi routers. Winston works by scrambling and encrypting a users internet activity and location with that of 20 to 30 other Winston users. The groups change hourly, making it impossible to track and follow any individual.

3. SECURE DATA PLATFORM REPLACES PASSWORDS WITH SMARTPHONES

US-based MobileIron is eliminating passwords to access secure data at work. The zero-trust security platform turns employees’ mobile phones into their key to access servers and cloud data.

Zero-trust is basically what it sounds like: nothing and no one is trusted to access data without verification. MobileIron uses a variety of attributes before granting access to any user or secure device. For instance, it validates the device, app authorisation and the network being used to log on. It also detects and remediates threats before granting secure access to a device or user. That makes it safer than passwords, according to MobileIron.

4. A ‘PERMISSION ACCESS PLATFORM’ FOR PERSONAL DATA

Digi.me’s app allows users to collect data from other companies and social networks and bring it all together in one place. Digi.me itself doesn’t view or store any of the downloaded personal data. Instead, the user dictates the storage location, such as on a hard drive or a cloud storage service.

Digi.me allows users to download data from services such as Facebook, Fitbit, Spotify and medical record aggregator site MyChart. Digi.me’s app allows users to extract information from the data, such as finding out if social media use affects purchase history.

5. ONE APP FOR MANAGING ALL PRIVACY DATA

Jumbo can change your Facebook privacy settings with one tap and create backups, as well as delete old tweets, Google searches and Alexa voice queries. Another feature will let users access old data that is encrypted and securely stored on their iCloud or Dropbox accounts.

The name Jumbo was chosen by the apps’ designers as a reminder that big tech never forgets anything you have ever posted or searched for. In contrast, Jumbo is an elephant that never remembers. All of Jumbo’s processing takes place on the users’ phone — the app does not communicate with a server. This means that Jumbo doesn’t even know who is using the app.

6. SOFTWARE REPLACES PASSWORDS WITH CRYPTOGRAPHIC KEYS

The main source of most data breaches is not malware, but human error. According to information security company ShredIt, 47 per cent of business leaders surveyed said human error by an employee had caused a data breach at their organisation. As many as one-third of these errors involved a compromised password.

Woven was founded to reduce the risk of enterprise security breaches by eliminating the vulnerabilities associated with today’s digital credentials. Woven does this by replacing passwords with cryptographic keys and multiple layers of biometrics and verifiable digital credentials. These credentials are attached to individuals, not companies, so can be taken from one employer to the next.

7. APP DELIVERS SECURE ID INFORMATION STORAGE

US-based venture Civic developed a Secure Identity Platform (or SIP) for storing sensitive contact information online. Users don’t need a password, username or third-party authenticator to access their information, as everything is protected by biometrics – they access and share their data via their own fingerprint.

Whether buying a plane ticket or signing up with a new online service, everything can be done quickly and easily through Civic’s dedicated app, which is available for both iOS and Android.