Glossary of commonly used terms in the data privacy industry.
- Authentication: The process of verifying the identity of a user, system, or device.
- Big Data: Large and complex datasets that require specialized tools for processing and analysis.
- CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act): A privacy law in California that gives consumers certain rights regarding their personal information.
- COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act): A U.S. federal law that regulates the online collection of personal information from children under 13.
- Chief Data Officer (CDO): An executive responsible for managing an organization’s data strategy.
- Consent: Permission granted by an individual for the collection, use, or sharing of their personal data.
- Consent Management: Systems and processes for handling user consent.
- Cookie: A small piece of data stored on a user’s device by a website.
- Cross Border Transfers: The movement of personal data across national borders.
- Data Anonymization: The process of removing personally identifiable information from data.
- Data Catalog: A repository of metadata about an organization’s data assets.
- Data Classification: Categorizing data based on its sensitivity or importance.
- Data Controller: An entity that determines the purposes and means of processing personal data.
- Data De-Identification: Making data anonymous by removing or altering identifiers.
- Data Discovery and Classification: Identifying and categorizing data within an organization.
- Data Encryption: Protecting data by converting it into a secure format.
- Data Flow Diagram: A visual representation of how data moves within a system.
- Data Governance: Policies and processes for managing data quality, security, and compliance.
- Data Inventory: A comprehensive list of an organization’s data assets.
- Data Lineage: Tracking the origin and movement of data.
- Data Mapping: Linking data elements between different systems.
- Data Masking: Concealing sensitive data while maintaining its format.
- Data Minimization: Collecting only necessary data for a specific purpose.
- Data Negligence: Mishandling or failing to protect data.
- Data Obfuscation: Altering data to make it less readable.
- Data Portability: The right for individuals to transfer their data between services.
- Data Privacy: Protecting individuals’ privacy rights related to their personal data.
- Data Privacy Automation: Using technology to manage privacy-related tasks.
- Data Privacy Best Practices: Industry-recommended approaches for privacy protection.
- Data Privacy Risk: The likelihood of privacy breaches or harm.
- Data Privacy Solutions: Tools and services for managing data privacy.
- Data Processor: An entity that processes personal data on behalf of a data controller.
- Data Protection Authority: Government agencies responsible for enforcing data protection laws.
- Data Protection Officer (DPO): An organization’s privacy expert.
- Data Redaction: Removing or obscuring sensitive information from documents.
- Data Retention: Policies for how long data should be kept.
- Data Steward: Responsible for data quality and compliance.
- Data Subject: An individual whose data is being processed.
- Data Subject Access Request (DSAR): A request from an individual to access their personal data.
- Data Subject Rights and Consumer Rights: Legal rights granted to individuals regarding their data.
- FTC (Federal Trade Commission): A U.S. agency that enforces consumer protection laws.
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): A comprehensive EU privacy regulation.
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): U.S. law governing health data privacy.
- Logs: Records of system events and activities.
- NIST Privacy Framework: Guidelines for managing privacy risk.
- Personal Information: Data that identifies an individual.
- Phishing: Fraudulent attempts to obtain sensitive information.
- Privacy Compliance: Adhering to privacy laws and regulations.
- Privacy Engineering: Designing systems with privacy in mind.
- Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA): Assessing privacy risks before implementing a project.
- Privacy Shield: A framework for transferring data between the EU and the U.S.
- Privacy by Design (PbD): Integrating privacy into system design.
- Pseudonymization: Replacing identifiers with pseudonyms.
- Public Records: Official documents accessible to the public.
- Right to be Forgotten: The right to have personal data erased.
- Spam: Unsolicited and unwanted messages.
- Toxic Combinations: Harmful combinations of data.
- Transparency: Clear communication about data practices