The advent of world-spanning computer technologies has created an environment in which all sorts of data is easily accessible by almost anyone. At the same time, more and more of our personal data is being collected and stored in computer systems. How can we be sure that it's safe? Data protection systems and technologies exist to protect our privacy.

Data protection is geared towards protecting personal information such as family details and medical records - information we may not want to share with just anyone. Data protection schemes aim to guarantee everyone a basic minimum of privacy in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. People dealing with sensitive government or corporate information may also rely on data protection.

Data protection begins with the type of privacy agreements which you will often see when you're asked to enter personal information into a website. This is the first stage of data protection - communication, ensuring that all those who are party to inf