You might not have heard of as many data breaches recently as in the past. As you’re probably aware, I call them out here as often as I can, especially the big ones in government and medical institutions, because I believe those can have lasting implications on a person’s life.

I think that my data is personal – and I’ve seen the impact of someone having their identity stolen. It’s a brutal experience that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. So with all of that it stands to reason that I hold the data professionals to the highest standards on security. I think your first role is to ensure the data you have, number one because it can be so harmful, and number two because it isn’t yours. It belongs to the person that has that data.

You might think I’m happy about that downturn in reported data losses. Well, I was, until I learned that companies have realized they suffer a lowering of their stock when they report it, but not when they don’t. So, since we all do what we are measured on, they don’t. So now, not only are they not protecting your information, they are hiding the fact that they are losing it.

So take this as a personal challenge. Make sure you have a security audit on your data, and treat any breach like a personal failure. We’re the gatekeepers, so let’s keep the gates.