Ensuring Personal Data Security in the Digital Age

In the ever-evolving digital era, the significance of personal data security has heightened. With user information easily accessible and susceptible to misuse by irresponsible parties, securing digital transactions needs a range of solutions, one of which is online identity verification to ensure users are who they claim to be.

Verification is crucial to maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of personal information. This article explores why verification stands as the primary key in safeguarding personal data. Moreover, verification is the confirmation of identity, typically through authentication methods involving passwords, verification codes, or even biometric technologies like fingerprints or facial scans. This process prevents unauthorized access to personal data, minimizing the risk of data leaks for malicious purposes.

Here's why verification is essential to secure personal data:

Verification methods, such as two-factor authentication, protect user data when passwords are leaked or accessed by irresponsible parties. Verification acts as an additional security layer to prevent unauthorized access to personal information.

In the event of a data breach, stolen data is likely to be used for various criminal activities, including opening fake accounts, engaging in illegal financial transactions, or social media abuse. Verification makes identity theft more difficult by introducing a more complex authentication process.

Personal data stored across various platforms is linked to our online transactions. Therefore, verification processes extend beyond personal account access to encompass online transactions, app usage, and even purchases of goods or services. Implementing verification at each transactional step helps evade fraud.

Ardi Sutedja, Chief and Founder of the Indonesia Cyber Security Forum (ICSF), emphasizes that awareness of cybersecurity and personal data protection is a key element for digital security. He states, "Society needs security and legal certainty in the cyber world, just like in the real world. In this way, the public's expectations of security in the virtual world are even higher. This is where our role is to help the public become more sensitive to protecting their digital identities."

Beyond online identity verification, protecting personal data starts with individuals refraining from sharing sensitive information on social media. Sati Rasuanto, CEO and Co-Founder of VIDA underscores the importance of not sharing personal data with external parties, such as ID cards, selfies holding ID cards, passport photos, boarding pass photos, account numbers, credit card numbers, and especially mother's maiden name, including photocopies of these documents. Additionally, Sati emphasizes not to share OTP (One-Time-Password) codes and refraining from clicking links sent by unknown numbers.

A study by Digital Frontier reveals that over 78% of Southeast Asian consumers are digital explorers who are always eager to try new digital experiences. On the flip side, losses from online transaction fraud in Southeast Asia reached USD 260 million in 2019, with 71% stemming from identity fraud. This underscores the urgency of implementing online identity verification processes.

VIDA conducts verification based on government-issued identities, utilizing KTP photos accompanied by selfies holding the KTP. Both are crucial processes to ensure the accuracy of data ownership. Furthermore, Sati explains that VIDA employs liveness detection technology, ensuring that the verified individual is present, not someone holding their photo or wearing a mask.

As trust in identity security must grow in tandem with digital economic development, VIDA calls on all stakeholders to collaborate in building a digital security ecosystem beyond doubt through online identity verification.

VIDA as Certificate Authority (CA)

PT Indonesia Digital Identity (VIDA), as a Certificate Authority (CA) registered and affiliated with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, is a trusted entity authorized to issue digital certificates for certified digital signatures.

Established in 2018, VIDA is a provider of digital identity services that utilizes digital certificates to offer multi-factor authentication, digital signatures, and verified identities. VIDA implements world-class data security standards, including Public Key Infrastructure, facial recognition (biometrics), and network security as comprehensive data security solutions.