Your Secure Responsibility

Now that we've covered the common security use cases and discussed some of the tools that a data scientist needs to be aware of in their everyday activities, there's one last important item to note. While in their custody, the responsibility for data, including its security and integrity, lies with the data scientist. This is usually true whether or not you are explicitly told. Therefore, it is crucial that you take this responsibility seriously and take all the necessary precautions when handling and processing data. If needed, also be ready to communicate to others their responsibility. We all need to ensure that we are not held responsible for a breach off-site; this can be achieved by highlighting the issue or, indeed, even having a written contract with the off-site service provider outlining their security arrangements. To see a real-world example of what can go wrong when you don't pay proper attention to due diligence, have a look at some security notes...