Protecting Against 'Visual Hacking'

As a privacy officer at a leading U.S. banking institution, Dan Burks helps employees balance their need of using customer information to conduct business with meeting customers' expectations on privacy. Visual privacy helps protect customer information from visual hacking, and Burks provides some key ways to protect an organization from hackers.

Consider what information actually needs to be collected and displayed to employees by requiring customers to disclose only the information that is necessary to complete a transaction, and keeping it securely stored. Create company policies that include visual privacy and address visual hacking threats. Educate employees about good visual privacy practices, and create an ongoing communication plan to increase awareness. Enact a "clean desk policy," especially for workers in open areas. When designing locations for customer interactions, take visual privacy into account by situating computer screens toward walls. It is also helpful to outfit privacy filters on all screens and mobile devices. Finally, analyze situations and locations by tracking files that are regularly observable and adjusting IT security standards.

Taking these steps to uphold visual privacy protects customer privacy and increases trust.