Exploding data : reclaiming our cyber security in the digital age
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 213-242) and index.

"The most dangerous threat we--individually and as a society and country--face today is no longer military, but rather the increasingly pervasive exposure of our personal data; nothing undermines our freedom more than losing control of information about ourselves. And yet, as daily events underscore, we are ever more vulnerable to cyber attack. In this bracing book, Michael Chertoff makes clear that personal data has become one of the most valuable assets of the modern age; and yet our laws and policies surrounding the protection of personal information were written for an earlier time and need to be completely overhauled in the Internet era. On the one hand, the collection of data--more widespread even by business than by government, and impossible to stop--should be facilitated as an ultimate protection for society. On the other, standards under which information can be inspected, analyzed, or used must be significantly tightened. In offering his compelling call for action, Chertoff argues that what is at stake is not the simple loss of privacy, which is almost impossible to protect, but that of individual autonomy--the ability to make personal choices free of manipulation or coercion. Offering colorful stories over many decades, through to the present, that illuminate the three periods of data gathering we have experienced, Chertoff explains the complex legalities surrounding issues of data collection and dissemination today, and charts a forceful new strategy that balances the needs of individuals, government, and business alike."--Dust jacket.