Why Data Privacy Isn't The Same As Data Security
DARKReading, Thursday, April 10th, 2025
Failing to distinguish between data privacy and data security leaves businesses vulnerable to regulatory scrutiny and the kinds of breaches that erode consumer trust overnight.
When Connecticut Attorney General William Tong described granting the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to Treasury Department records as potentially the largest data breach in American history, the alarm wasn't just about yet another cybersecurity failure. It underscored a fundamental misunderstanding that continues to expose businesses and consumers to risk.
Too often, organizations treat data privacy and data security as interchangeable concepts. Privacy and security are not the same, and failing to distinguish between them leaves businesses vulnerable to regulatory scrutiny and the kinds of breaches that erode consumer trust overnight and can lead to compliance gaps, security failures, and lasting reputational damage.