Privacy in Action: Lisa Ventura, Cybersecurity Business Leader

Lisa Ventura, Cybersecurity Business Leader

Lisa Ventura is a well-known leader in the cybersecurity industry. She founded the UK Cyber Security Association. In addition to that, her list of professional accomplishments is impressive. Her cybersecurity career started when she became the Chief Operations Officer/PR & Marketing of Titania in 2009. Last year she published Rise of the Cyber Women, a compilation of articles of women in the industry.

Her official website describes her work with the UK Cyber Security Association:

“As the Founder and CEO of the UK Cyber Security Association, Lisa is in high demand for her expertise as a thought leader and commentator. The UK Cyber Security Association is a not-for-profit organisation that raises awareness of the importance of cyber security for small businesses and SME’s, and provides education on the growing cyber threat to individuals and businesses. As a result of this work Lisa is also in high demand as a speaker and panellist at various cyber security, technology and IT conferences and events.”

Ventura and Startpage have common goals in protecting people’s data privacy. We’re thrilled to be able to share her insight on this blog! You can follow her on Twitter @cybergeekgirl.

Interview with Lisa Ventura

Startpage: What does privacy mean to you?

Lisa Ventura: To me, privacy protects our reputations from harm. People often judge others harshly and unfairly, so the more control we as individuals have over what is shared, the more protected we are from being unfairly harmed and from the growing cyber threat. We live in a world where our personal data has never been more sought after by fraudulent people, and I believe that protecting people’s privacy is a responsibility that everyone must share, and that people need to be respectful of personal boundaries online the same way we would do so in person.

Startpage: We know confidentiality is one of the components of the CIA Triad of cybersecurity. Is there a difference between confidentiality and privacy?

Lisa Ventura: People often think that confidentiality and privacy are the same thing, but they are not. When it comes to information, privacy is the right of an individual to have some control over how their personal information is collected, used, stored and/or disclosed. Confidentiality on the other hand is the duty to ensure that information is kept secret only to the extent possible.

Startpage: “Brexit” means the UK will no longer be part of the European Union. Does the UK have any good alternatives to the GDPR?

Lisa Ventura: Even though the UK has exited the European Union and no longer applies to UK residents’ personal data, UK organizations must still comply with GDPR requirements. There are two key acts that organisations need to be aware of – firstly, the Data Protection Act 2018 which already enacts the EU GDPR’s requirements in UK law, and secondly, the Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 amends the Data Protection Act 2018 and merges it with the requirements of the EU GDPR to form a data protection regime that is designed to work in a UK context post-Brexit alongside the Data Protection Act 2018.

This regime is known as “the UK GDPR” and there is very little difference between the EU GDPR and the UK GDPR. Organisations that process personal data should therefore continue to comply with the EU GDPR’s requirements.

Also, any UK organisation that offers goods or services to, or monitors the behaviour of, EU residents will have to comply with the EU GDPR, and will have to make some changes to their data processing activities.

Startpage: How has the UK Cyber Security Association been advocating for digital privacy rights?

Lisa Ventura: At the UK Cyber Security Association, we have been campaigning and advocating for digital privacy rights since our inception. We fully support a world in which people can live with dignity in the digital age and campaign for robust laws that supports digital privacy for all.

Startpage: What’s one of the biggest misconceptions about digital privacy?

Lisa Ventura: I’ve heard many misconceptions around digital privacy, but some of the best ones include the fact that incognito mode on web browsers mean you are fully anonymous, that phones or Apple Macs can’t get viruses and that any VPN you choose will keep your traffic safe and private. These are all simply not true. People also expect that they will have anonymity on website until they provide some authentication, such as logging in with a username and password, but many sites often collect data well before this point. Education is key to debunking many of these misconceptions.

Startpage: What are some of the best things web developers can do to protect the privacy of user data?

Lisa Ventura: With internet users exchanging more details than ever before, many web developers have become significantly concerned about internet security and data privacy for their users. Businesses have a responsibility to protect the data they collect by providing a secure website, but secure web building often goes against usable and personalised web design.

That being the case, web developers should ensure that users are aware of why their personal data is being requested and how it will be used on the site to improve their experience. In addition, they should always give good value to users in the form of an easy to navigate, user-friendly and highly secure website and they should also allow users to be able to manage their own data, which puts them in control of their personal data to allow them to feel safer since they can add and remove personal information when desired.