An Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) survey of 1,006 companies across Canada shows that many businesses are not employing recommended technological tools or practices to protect the digitally-stored personal information of their customers.
For example, the survey found that while the vast majority of companies are using passwords to protect personal information stored on digital devices, many do not ensure that passwords are difficult to guess or that their employees change them regularly—two practices that can really help thwart online criminals.
The survey also showed that almost 50% of companies that store personal information on portable devices like laptops, USB sticks, and tablets do not use encryption to protect the information on these devices—despite the fact that these types of devices are far more likely to be misplaced, lost or stolen.
While the survey did find that many Canadian companies recognize the importance of protecting privacy, it is vitally important that businesses take the time to get it right—for their customers and for their own survival. Businesses that jeopardize personal information, risk losing their customers’ trust and their business.
The complete survey, which is considered to be accurate to within +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20, can be found on our website.