Privacy vs Confidentiality in Computer Security

When we talk about any network, information handling, agreements, or computer security, privacy vs confidentiality are commonly used. One should know the difference between them.

Privacy vs Confidentiality

Let us have a briefer look at the two.

What is Privacy?

Privacy is the protection of personal information, credentials, and sensitive data. One can define privacy as securing the user’s identity. One must take care of privacy either the service provider or network is public or private.

Privacy Examples

• Property rights
• Personal information
• User credentials

What is Confidentiality?

Confidentiality is two party’s agreement on something, but in computer security, it is about network and data. It may or may not include personal information and access control.

Confidentiality Examples

• Agreements
• Interviews
• Data of patients for the doctor
• Employee detail

The Similarity Between Privacy and Confidentiality

Privacy and confidentiality meet on the point where information is set to personal, nonpublic, and confidential as well.

Privacy and confidentiality both are different in computer security. The difference between privacy vs confidentiality in computer security is quite important to note.

Breach of Confidentiality Vs Invasion of Privacy

Breach of Confidentiality

As confidentiality is safeguarding data from unauthorized members or parties from accessing the information. It means the people who have permission can only access the data. If any of the unallowed persons can approach the data, that means confidentiality has failed. This failure of confidentiality is called the breach of confidentiality.

There is not any remedy to unhid the data once it has been revealed. The only thing one can do is to change or update the credentials. Breaching confidentiality has unique solutions. This matter can be solved by a sorry or an apology letter, and legal actions can be taken too.

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Invasion of Privacy

Invasion of privacy occurs when information is accessed without the knowledge of the admin or permission. It starts by indulging in a network and ends with revealing the data. Privacy concerns with the username, address, number, and bank details.

One has accounts on different platforms. Organizations where we sign up and share our information if they share that information with a third party or make it public without your consent, then this is called Invasion of Privacy. It can steal passwords and using other’s accounts.

One can protect its privacy by using strong passwords, monitoring the activities, keep a check on investment, credit reports, and securing a cellphone.

Privacy and Confidentiality in Information Technology

After the development of information technology and accessing the internet, it is difficult to say that information is safe. But before coming to results, let us know what information technology is. IT is the storage, processing, and distributing of information using an automatic system.

Privacy in Information Technology

Privacy is a serious concern. The more people are relying on technology, there is more risk to privacy. The connection and access to technology have increased, which is why privacy is brisk. Although these apps give surety that information is secure, yet it is not.

Privacy on Social Media

Social media platforms have made privacy a very crucial thing to ponder upon. One can hack the account of the user and share irrelevant content that can hurt someone. They can have access to personal information, and later one can blackmail, inject a virus, and corrupt the data, and scam.

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Privacy on Big Data

When a user searches for something on the internet or opens any link, it generates insight for the owner of the website. This huge data is Big Data. Almost every platform uses statistical algorithms to know the public interest and show them the relevant things. How are they able to do it? It is because of the access to our data because of the internet.

Confidentiality in Information Technology

Confidentiality is a major part of information technology. It is one of the most important pillars of information technology. The secret data must be hidden and only be revealed to the allowed people. Confidentiality is what data can be seen to whom. If there is an organization and one has the responsibility to manage the account, then the person has access to the confidential data.

Unlike in the past, now to steal data one does not have to go to the office or cabin and check files, but only to the computer having all the secret information. This is how information technology has changed confidentiality. Agreements are signed over emails. Your laptop can get corrupted through it too.

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Difference Between Privacy and Confidentiality in Information Security

Some people use privacy and confidentiality interchangeably. Both are the same but have unfamiliar concepts. The basic differences are:

1. Privacy in information technology is protecting personal data, while confidentiality is providing access to allow people.
2. Privacy is a right, while confidentiality is a condition.
3. Privacy is for a single person, and confidentiality is sharing credentials with a second person.
4. Privacy is about looking inside, and confidentiality is outside.
5. Privacy relates to personal choices while confidentiality to professionals.
6. Confidentiality extends privacy.

Difference Between Confidential and Anonymous

1. In confidentiality, at least two people know about information while in anonymous, no one knows about it.
2. One person can track the other in confidentiality, but none can track the person in anonymity.
3. Confidentiality works in both qualitative and quantitative research and anonymous mostly in quantitative.
4. Questionnaires and interviews are confidential, and online surveys are anonymous.

Importance of Privacy and Confidentiality

Privacy is an essential thing when one uses any platform that can be inline or onsite. One’s identity must not be disclosed. Disclosure of private data can affect people like one can share their photos publicly, someone can access their accounts and use them for illegal activities.

For large businesses or take the example of any chef that does not share his recipes with others but only with some co-workers. Confidentiality is not sharing the recipe with others. So, confidentiality can reveal some code words or tricks and the company’s information can get leaked.

Conclusion

It is not about privacy vs confidentiality but understanding these core concepts. Both have their importance in computer security and information technology. It is also one’s responsibility to take care of their privacy and other’s confidentiality.

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