POLYAS Election Glossary
We provide explanations and background information on elections, voting rights and digital democracy
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Data Protection
Data protection (used interchangeably with ‘data security’) refers to protecting citizens’ private, personal data from unauthorised use, transmission and storage, as well as protection from loss and damage of data.
Protection from authorised use
Individuals should have the right to decide how, when and with whom they share their personal data. Some examples of ways to protect data from unauthorised use, transmission and storage include using secure passwords, encryption, and secure wireless internet services. In the UK, the Data Protection Act 1998 provides the legal basis for protecting citizens’ personal data.
Protection from loss and damage
In order to protect data from loss, backups should be made at regular intervals. Ideally, backups can be set up to occur automatically on another server at predetermined times so that a secure copy is always updated and at hand in the event of loss and damage.
See also:
