“Your data is not a game”

At both national and international levels, the processing and protection of personal data and information have become among the most important and valuable assets in today's society. However, the risks associated with the improper use and circulation of data are increasing, with consequences such as financial loss, identity theft, defamation, and damage to personal or corporate reputation, among others.

Therefore, Edilson Martínez Clavijo, Director of Systems and Technology and Personal Data Processing Officer at UCundinamarca, provides the following important recommendations and presents relevant information for the university community regarding the protection of personal data:

UCundinamarca: What advice do you give to university students to protect their personal data?

Edilson Martínez (EM): The Data Processing Officer and the Information Security Area invites students to consult the current legal regulations regarding the protection of personal data at the national and institutional levels, to know what their rights are, both for minors and adults, and what the duties are that Colombian entities have, in terms of respecting and using the data only for the purposes for which it was collected, to keep in mind the importance of protecting their personal data and using the information of other people with respect and integrity.

UCundinamarca: What recommendations do you offer to teachers and administrative staff to protect their personal data?

EM: Within the Institution, we invite all administrative and teaching staff to use the official technological tools available at the university for all academic, administrative, or commercial activities, as we are certain that

Information that circulates through them will be safeguarded, protecting its integrity, availability and confidentiality.

Also, in their daily lives we advise them to know their rights and duties as data subjects, and the mechanisms by which they can exercise their rights, always verifying what they are authorizing and how their information will be treated, before providing it.

UCundinamarca: What institutional documents or manuals can the educational community consult to learn more and expand information related to the protection of personal data?

EM: At the institutional level, we have the Personal Data Processing Policy, set out in Resolution 000050 of 2018 “Which establishes the data processing policy of the holders of the University of Cundinamarca” and Resolution 000058 of 2019 “Which modifies Resolution 000050 “Which establishes the data processing policy of the holders of the University of Cundinamarca of May 7, 2018”, in its articles 2 and 13.”.

The implementation of this policy led to the construction, formalization and dissemination of the following manuals: Manual of Policies and Procedures for the Processing of Personal Data, Manual of Roles and Responsibilities for the Processing of Personal Data, Manual of Policies for the Proper Use of Institutional Email and Manual of Guidelines for Instant Messaging.

Regarding the procedures, we have the following: collection of personal data, storage of personal data, use and circulation of personal data, deletion of personal data, consultations and complaints regarding personal data, and international transfer of personal data. These procedures have their reference documents (forms, guides, and instructions), formalized in the Quality Management System, in the Support Macroprocess, Systems and Technology Management Process, which have allowed us to largely comply with the implementation of the Data Protection Law, in accordance with current legal regulations.

UCundinamarca: How has data protection been affected during the pandemic, and what can be done to protect our personal data right now?

EM: Due to the current situation, in times of pandemic and health emergency, entities, organizations, dependent and independent workers, have been forced to carry out most of their operations through technological tools, offered online and paid

as free, and often without verifying the level of protection and confidentiality that these tools offer to their owners, which represents an extreme risk to the personal information supplied and hosted on these platforms, which is sent or shared through computers or cell phones used for this purpose.

Similarly, the number of online transactions has increased significantly, so users' personal data could be compromised if precautions are not taken when verifying the authenticity of a website and managing their personal contact and banking information.

Therefore, it is important to review and ensure that the websites and contact tools offered on the internet have security protocols that protect the integrity and confidentiality of the data, and above all, that you read the terms and conditions you are accepting when accessing or using these tools, especially regarding the purpose for which the data is collected, its use, circulation, and final disposal.

UCundinamarca: What strategies have been implemented by the Institution to protect personal data during times of pandemic?

EM: The Information Security area continues with the implementation of controls in accordance with the Data Processing Policy Resolution 000050 of 2018, at the institutional level and circular 009 of July 31, 2020, issued by the Administrative and Financial Vice-Rectorate, with the subject: “The administrative management of the University of Cundinamarca digital now a click away”.

Similarly, workshops on "Information Security and Privacy and the Data Protection Law" continue to be held for administrative and teaching staff at the main campus, branches, extensions, and the Bogotá office. Furthermore, support has been provided to areas such as the Academic Vice-Rector's Office, the "Dialoguing with the World" office, the Directorate of University Social Interaction, and the Directorate of Human Resources, among others, to increase the implementation rate and comply with current legal regulations in this area.

UCundinamarca What achievements has the Institution had regarding the care of personal data in times of pandemic?

EM: We have made significant progress in collecting authorizations for the processing of personal data from data subjects; 11,685 students now have their authorization approved. Likewise, the awareness campaigns are a great step forward, as they help to inform and encourage the use of personal data.

awareness that we are all responsible for the data we have collected from data subjects, according to the purpose for which it was granted and that we must treat it in accordance with the principles of legality, purpose, freedom, truthfulness or quality, transparency, access and restricted circulation, security and confidentiality; without losing sight of the rights of the data subjects and always taking into account the duties we must fulfill as responsible parties and ensure that the processors to whom we transfer information from our data subjects also comply with the regulations issued at the national level and those at the institutional level.

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