Data protection reliability is the processes that ensure that personal data is collected legally and stored in a secure manner, never shared with other people or used in violation of a person’s rights. It covers everything from ensuring that data collection tools adhere to industry standards, teaching data collectors and creating clear guidelines for managing data.
It is important to distinguish between data reliability (such as whether the exact outcome could be obtained if the measurement was repeated) and data validity (such as whether it accurately measures what it was supposed to measure). While data reliability focuses on consistency (such as whether the exact result could be achieved if the measurement was repeated), data validity is more concerned about the accuracy of the data (like whether it accurately measures what it meant to measure).
Unreliable data can result in negative consequences. If a business is dependent on insufficient data to make decisions, it could result in wasting money or investing in unprofitable projects. It could also cause a loss of trust among employees, customers and partners, and reduce accountability. In some cases, the use of unreliable data could lead to legal and statutory consequences.
There are many ways to improve the reliability of data. Some of the most effective strategies are adopting standard procedures, educating data collectors and offering reliable tools. It’s also important to create clear data retention policies and create feedback loops for data users to report errors. Lastly, it’s important to maintain the integrity of data by ensuring that all systems are stored and backed up, and that backup and recovery processes work according to plan.