There is huge excitement for Big Data and its features, most of them have been aggregated in 9 different Vs of Big data like Volume, Velocity, Variety, Veracity, Validity, Volatility, Value, Variability, Viscosity.
Big Data – Vulnerability
With the increasing size of personal data of the public, they have started feeling that it is being used to interfere with their behavior to sell them things by various commercial websites.
This is not being loved by some people who may stop doing business with such organizations where their private data is at risk while others aren’t concerned about this, as they are relaxed with a transaction that involves exchanging an amount of privacy for an amount of convenience or value.
Experian’s head of strategy for credit services, told “We think about things expressively … and the emotion that is related to data is sometimes of nervousness, anticipation, or vulnerability. Reports have been heard about data violations, and most people have experienced their data being misused as well –people getting calls for asking about payment protection insurance, or telling them they had an accident when it wasn’t.”
At the present scenario, with industries running behind Big Data, when data comes up in unexpected conversation, we usually get excited to converse the wonderful new things we can do with the huge volumes of data available to us, and the ways that Big Data and analytics are changing the world for the better.
But occasionally the tone can be different while discussing personal data being used by businesses and organizations and why do they need to know so much? What will happen if this data gets out, won’t it be easy for criminals to steal money from our bank accounts and even take our identities?
To reduce this fear, organizations need to support customers about the safety of their data that it won’t be lost, misused, or misplaced. This will need to achieve a level of “data stewardship” far beyond a level that is offered by most data businesses today.
When that is done, people will be more interested to hear about another V – value. “We can help people in recognizing how the most value from their data can be obtained like in finding a cheaper energy tariff or share their smart wearables data with their doctor to get better medical advice. All this depends on how we are currently conditioned to think about data.
According to Experian’s publication, A Data-driven Future, includes taking a careful overview of the data security and having actions in place for monitoring change of how an organization’s use of data could be more crystal clear to its customers. By implementing a pro-active policy of transparency, organizations don’t just increase trust in its customers but also opens a channel for another conversation about the value that their services can bring.
But we are very far from this method currently. Challenges need to be faced while addressing people’s worries about their data – particularly when it comes to medical or financial data. Organizations have a big responsibility to protect our data and be more crystal clear about its usage. This can be tackled by adding “Vulnerability” as another crucial consideration, with regards to every piece of data which is collected. This would be a practical step towards addressing the personal data problem with Vulnerability.