What is Privacy? OAIC are showing us the way.

When looking for a new home we like to see photos of what the house looks like but for a tenant/home owner are there any rules that govern what photos the real estate agent takes and is there anything you can do if you are unhappy about the photos they have taken.

The OAIC's fifth video in their Privacy series tell us,'Is my real estate agent aloud to take photos in my house?'

________________________________________________________________________________ If your neighbour has a security camera and you are concerned about your Privacy the OAIC's latest video gives you some advice on what you can do to apease the situation.

The OAIC's fourth video in their Privacy series tell us,'What can i do about my neighbours security camers?'

________________________________________________________________________________
We all have personal information held by organisations, but how do you access that information, are you able to just ask for it or might you have to pay or wait for an extended period of time, and then what if it is incorrect are you able to make changes where you need to?

The OAIC's third video in their Privacy series tell us,'How do I access my personal information?'

________________________________________________________________________________
If you know that personal information about you has been mishandled what should you do, and how do you go about making a complaint?

The OAIC's second video in their Privacy series tell us, 'How do I make a privacy complaint?'

_________________________________________________________________________________
Following on from PRIVACY AWARENESS WEEK in May 2014 when CQR were partners of the OAIC (The Office of Australia Information Commissioner), the OAIC have released the first a series of 5 video's which are designed to help individuals learn more about PRIVACY and the common concerns they may have.

All of the video's are to be release over the next 2 weeks and we will be here to support the OAIC in spreading the word on PRIVACY.

The first in the series is 'What is Privacy?'

Further information on the changes to the PRIVACY ACT can be found on the OAIC website.

Sarah Taylor
www.cqr.com

Privacy Awareness Week Day 3: What you can do to protect your privacy when using mobile phones

We have to remember that mobiles aren't just phones anymore! They store a significant amount of data to make life easier for us, but we must ensure that we don’t make it an easy target for thieves or hackers! 

So…what can we do to protect our personal information on our ‘smart’ phones?

1 - Familiarise yourself with the settings of your phone, understand the key features and enable the security features including setting a password or PIN so that no one else can access your information if your phone is lost or stolen.

2 - Turn off the Bluetooth function when not in use so that your device is only visible when you specifically need other people or devices to see it.  This means that potential hackers cannot connect to it unless they already have your Bluetooth address.

3 - When connecting to the internet, try to use an encrypted network that requires a password.

4 - Check for updates regularly, install as soon as they become available as these often contain important changes that will make your phone more secure.

5 – Keep your phone safe and on your person at all times.

6 – Back up your data regularly.

According to the OAIC 62% of Australians have chosen to not use a mobile app due to privacy concerns.

What can we do to ensure we are kept safe when downloading and using apps?

1 – Download apps from reputable websites and mobile phone apps.

2 – Follow the set up properly and consider the need for an app to access your contacts list or location details.  If in doubt don’t use it!

Other posts from Privacy Awareness Week
Privacy Awareness Week, Day 1: What is privacy and changes to the Act 
Privacy Awareness Week Day 2: Protect your privacy online

Yvonne Sears

Senior Security Specialist

@yvonnesearsCQR

www.cqr.com

Privacy Awareness Week Day 2: Protect your privacy online

According to the OAIC 74% of Australians are more concerned about their online privacy than they were five years ago. So what can you do about it?

How often do you check your privacy settings?

Social media sites frequently update their settings and this may occur without your knowledge.  These changes will include changes to the look and feel of their website or how they interact with you or how they manage the security settings.  So it is important to periodically check your own settings and ensure only those you wish to see your information can.

Do you have to provide everything to everyone online!?

For example, consider whether you are happy for personal information such as your birth date to be made publically available.  When signing up for websites or newsletters do they really need your real birthdate or can you give a fake one? Remember who you are protecting.

Releasing your personal information is your choice!

8 simple steps for staying safe online

1. When asked for personal information, ask what it will be used for.
2. You don’t need to share everything about yourself on Social Media.
3. Think about the information you want to share.
4. Before you hand over your email address read the website privacy policy and find out how they will use the email address you provide.
5. Check for encryption and use secure payment methods when shopping online. Look for https: connections when transferring confidential information (Banks use these secure communications for example when you log in).  This demonstrates that you have a secure connection with the website.
6. Tick the ‘opt out’ box on forms if you don’t want to receive marketing communications.
7. Set strong passwords, especially for important online accounts such as banking and avoid using the same password for all accounts.
8. Know your privacy rights, visit www.oaic.gov.au

You can find more information on your privacy rights and Privacy Awareness Week from the OAICwebsite

Or for more hints and tips go to www.staysmartonline.gov.au

Other posts from Privacy Awareness Week
Privacy Awareness Week, Day 1: What is privacy and changes to the Act 

Yvonne Sears

Senior Security Specialist

@yvonnesearsCQR

www.cqr.com

Privacy Awareness Week, Day 1: What is privacy and changes to the Act

 This week (5^th -10^th May) is Privacy Awareness Week (PAW) and CQR has partnered with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to help promote Privacy Awareness amongst the community.

So what is Privacy?

Privacy is about the protection of an individual’s personal information.  We are all responsible for protecting our own identity and that of others.  Think about it:  We expose or own personal information on a daily basis.  When we use social media, contact our utility companies and shop online we provide a large amount of our own personal data.  You may make the assumption that the person or website you are sharing your information with will take care of it, ensure it is secure and not share it with anyone else.

This to a degree is true and most companies will have a privacy policy in place to demonstrate a level of commitment to protecting your personal information, but this isn't a fool proof solution.

The person who is actually responsible for your personal data at the end of the day is you!  What is the best way to safeguard yourself and look after your own identity?  Have you ever taken the time to think about it?

To help you understand, Australia an independent Government agency responsible for privacy functions that are conferred by the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) called the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).  The OAIC provides advice and guidance to the public, Businesses and Government agencies on how they are to handle personal information. 

The changes to the Privacy Act on 12^th march 2014 brought about a heightened awareness of the message that we should be protecting our own privacy and together with PAW CQR has put together a program of Blogs covering:

-          How you can protect your privacy online;

-          What you can do to protect your privacy when using mobile apps;

-          Business obligations to privacy; and

-          How to manage breaches to personal information.

We hope that you will keep a keen eye out on blogs, get engaged in conversation and most importantly retweet the messages to colleagues, family and friends to share the importance of Privacy.

You can find more information on your privacy rights and Privacy Awareness Week from the OAICwebsite

Yvonne Sears

Senior Security Specialist

@yvonnesearsCQR

www.cqr.com