This May marked the one–year anniversary of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), perhaps the strictest set of privacy laws to date. The regulation includes landmark consumer rights when it comes to data privacy, including right of access, broadened consent requirements, and the right to be forgotten. Since going into effect, the GDPR has caused a huge debate among business and cybersecurity experts. Where some herald it as a new dawn for consumer privacy, others consider it too big a burden for businesses.

So, one year in, how have things played out so far?  

Breach Notification 

Before the GDPR, the EU had no overarching laws requiring companies to report data breaches. Instead, it was up to individual member states to enact such laws. Since the GDPR, however, things have changed. According to the DLA Piper GDPR Data Breach Survey, nearly 60,000 breaches were reported between May 2018 and February 2019. These breaches ranged from minor, such as emails sent to the wrong person, to massive data dumps effecting millions of people.  

Fines Imposed

The DLA Piper report also shows that 91 fines were imposed under the GDPR. According to the European Data Protection board, combined fines totaled £55,955,871. However, this number can be misleading. Included in that total is the £50 million fine imposed on Google this January.  

Since those reports, however, there have been a number of even larger fines levied against companies. Just this month, the UK’s ICO proposed £183.39m fine against British Airways and a £99.2m fine against Marriott International for past data breaches.  

Business Still Confused

At the same time, businesses (primarily mid-size companies)  who want to comply but don’t have the resources of the large firms are having a difficult time keep up with the regulations and mapping out the right procedures to stay compliant.  Just today, MSN published an article about a researcher convinced one in four companies to give him data on his fiancee (with her permission) to show that GDPR compliance attempts can actually lead to breaches in and of themselves.

Takeaway

This year has shown that, when it comes to consumer privacy, the GDPR is taking its role seriously and businesses are uneven in their ability to comply. But it’s still early days. French regulator Mathias Moulin emphasized in February that this “should be considered a transition year,” as lawmakers continue to nail down certain details of the new law and tie up loose ends.   

While it seems the number of breaches reported and fines imposed will continue to increase, one of the big questions in the coming years will exactly effective these fines are in changing the culture around data privacy. Time will tell. 

Vacations are a time to kick back and forget about the worries of everyday life. But that doesn’t mean you should forget about what cybersecurity risks you’re exposed to. In fact, traveling can present unique cybersecurity risks. Whether you’re at the beach or even just at your local coffee shop, carrying sensitive information on the go can open you up to additional vulnerabilities.  

Here are some tips to keep in mind when traveling

Backup data and update your software before you go

Packing shouldn’t be the only thing you do when preparing to travel. Before you go, be sure to back up your data and update the software on your devices.  

There is a lot to keep track of when you travel, and sometimes things get lost. Creating a backup of important information will ensure you can recover anything important on that iPad you left in the seat pocket of the airplane.  

Checking for any software updates on your devices is also essential. Keeping your systems and apps up to date will ensure you have latest security patches and help defend against malware attacks.  

Be careful about using public wi-fi

Whether at the airport, hotel, or coffee shop, public Wi-Fi might not be as secure as your connection at home or in the office.  These can be good spots for hackers with “pineapples” — wifi devices which intercept traffic and can perform “man-in-the-middle” attacks where you connect to the pineapple thinking you are connecting to the public wifi and the pineapple logs all your traffic (keystrokes, websites visited, login info, etc).

If you have to use a vulnerable connection, avoid accessing sensitive accounts or anything containing personal information. Only use sites that begin with “https://” when online shopping or banking. Using your mobile network connection is generally more secure than using a public wireless network. However, your best bet for any public Wi-Fi is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPN’s will hide your IP address and reroute your connection through a private server.  

Disable auto-connect

Often, your devices will automatically scan and connect to available networks or other devices. This could lead you to unintentionally connect to an unsecure network, which bad guys with pineapples can use to gain access to your devices. Make sure to turn this feature off on all devices and always double check that you’re only connected to devices and networks you trust. 

Don’t use public computers

Using public computers at a hotel work center or an internet café can pose some serious risks. You can’t be sure the computers are up to date and have proper security software installed. There have been a number of cases where public computers contain malware that logs your keystrokes. This can be used to steal passwords, card numbers, and any other sensitive data you might enter into the computer.  

Lock and guard devices

We often think about information getting stolen by someone who remotely hacks into our device. But it’s also possible for this to happen if someone steals the device itself. Along with keeping a close eye on your belongings, make sure you use password protection, fingerprint authentication, or other types locks for all your devices. This will help prevent someone from accessing sensitive information in the event your device gets stolen.  

Scan for malware when you get home

Even if you follow all these tips, you can’t always be 100% certain that you weren’t exposed to some sort of attack. After you get home, use an anti-virus software to run a full scan of your device to ensure there isn’t anything fishy lurking anywhere.  

But perhaps we should not confuse technology with the possibility of more freedom or increased liberty. In fact, technology might more often get in the way.

I think Independence can be best felt walking in the meadow or along a stream on a sunny morning, measuring my breath against the songs of the insects and the birds.

And I see Liberty in the smiles of family, friends and neighbors when we get together and do nothing but enjoy each other’s company.

In other words, on this Independence Day, what a great time to set down our phones and laptops and desktops and relive freedom, relive independence, relive what it means to be human.

Happy Fourth of July!