Online users are often asked to enter pii in online forms.
If you are using a free web form, you may want to think twice because there is little to no web form security with free options. Show
Are web forms secure? No, web forms are not secure. To make sure your web form is secure, you need to apply data encryption, multi-factor authentication, spam protection, and other security measures to protect submitted data from being hacked. Why Is Security Important for Web Forms?Web forms are a normal part of business operations, and many consumers and business users don’t think twice about entering data into forms. Users assume the organization asking for information will keep that information safe, secure, and private. Organizations need to take this charge seriously. Even if an organization isn’t worried about customer or partner perception, many regulatory agencies will not tolerate the use of unsecure web forms. The main challenge for web form security is that web forms are often a front line for user interaction and acceptance of inputs. This makes them a prime target for malicious cyber exploitation. Specifically, because any user or bot can enter information into an open web form, enterprises must protect user information and their systems overall against these exploits. Some security threats and challenges associated with web forms include:
Web Forms and ComplianceWhile security is a major issue that overlaps with compliance, compliance itself is its own topic when it comes to secure web forms. There are dozens of different cybersecurity and data privacy laws that can potentially impact the security and safety of a web form. Some of the most relevant regulations impacting secure web forms include the following: General Data Protection RegulationThe GDPR is a set of laws covering businesses operating within the European Union (EU), and in many cases, those with EU citizen customers anywhere in the world. One of the strictest regulations globally, the GDPR has several regulations and requirements around the use of web forms. The most significant ones include:
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability ActHIPAA governs the management of electronic protected health information and is primarily concerned with how that information is kept private while the user inputs data and submits it. Maintaining confidentiality while the user enters sensitive information into a HIPAA-compliant form is the highest priority, followed closely by maintaining that privacy after submission, typically through strong encryption and security controls. Alongside these security controls, healthcare organizations collecting information via a form are required to maintain privacy by ensuring that only authorized users inside the organization can see that data. Payment Card IndustryThe Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) governs credit card payment information security, typically at the point of sale, for both in-person and e-commerce storefronts. As such, PCI DSS often requires the same types of security to protect this information as other standards, including server security and encryption. The most important factor to note is that PCI DSS compliance requires organizations to collect and process credit card information through a compliant processor. Many enterprises do not have a compliant infrastructure, which means they most likely need to outsource to a compliant processor, like PayPal or Stripe. Best Practices for Secure Web FormsIf you’re building your web forms for any purpose, it’s crucial to understand the security and compliance context within which your system exists. Different laws call for different levels of security, and different industries shape when and how you can use forms to ask for information. However, there are some general best practices that you can keep in mind when creating secure web forms:
Secure Web Forms With KiteworksThe Kiteworks platform unifies the tracking, control, and security of sensitive content communications, enabling organizations to manage privacy and compliance with their own private content network. As part of this process, Kiteworks delivers comprehensive security governance for confidential data sent and shared internally and externally and employs a defense-in-depth approach both on-premises and in the cloud. The Kiteworks platform enables embeddable web forms with an easy-to-use point-and-click authoring tool, role-based policy permissions, and automated security and compliance governance. Organizations can facilitate simple and secure submissions from customers, partners, and employees using Kiteworks-enabled web forms. Some of the key capabilities include:
Because web forms are just one of many sensitive content communication channel capabilities in the Kiteworks platform, organizations benefit by having all sensitive content communication privacy and compliance governance in one private content network. Key features and integrations within the Kiteworks platform, such as AES-256 encryption for data at rest and TLS 1.2+ for data in transit, immutable audit logging, security information and event management (SIEM) integration, and others, make Kiteworks-enabled web forms a highly secure and compliant option for organizations of all sizes. For organizations seeking single-tenant cloud hosting, Kiteworks enterprise edition can be deployed as a dedicated Kiteworks instance, on-premises, on an organization’s Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) resources, or hosted as a private, single-tenant instance. This means no shared runtime, shared databases or repositories, shared resources, or potential for cross-cloud breaches or attacks. If you are using web forms, request a custom demo to see how Kiteworks is the right choice for your privacy and compliance requirements. What are 3 PII examples?Personal identification numbers: social security number (SSN), passport number, driver's license number, taxpayer identification number, patient identification number, financial account number, or credit card number. Personal address information: street address, or email address. Personal telephone numbers.
What is PII used for?Personal Identifiable Information (PII) is defined as: Any representation of information that permits the identity of an individual to whom the information applies to be reasonably inferred by either direct or indirect means.
What is PII in surveys?In the context of a survey, personally identifiable information (PII) are variables that can, either on their own or in combination with other variables, be used to identify a single surveyed individual with reasonable certainty.
What are 5 examples of PII?Sensitive PII includes but is not limited to the information pictured here, which includes Social Security Numbers, driver's license numbers, Alien Registration numbers, financial or medical records, biometrics, or a criminal history.
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