Contents
Transparency

Endless information

The end of privacy?

Data – the raw material
of the 21st century

We post vacation snaps, google symptoms, look for apartments, jobs and even true love - with every trace we leave on the net, the data mountain grows a little bigger. For a long time now, life without the Internet in our daily lives has been unthinkable. But unlike at home, we can’t just draw the curtains on the Internet to shut out prying eyes. So what exactly does digital transparency have to do with us? On the one hand, these vast amounts of data open up completely new possibilities - for example, for intelligent traffic control, research into diseases or the ecological use of resources. But on the other hand, transparency can make us vulnerable. This can happen if private information falls into the wrong hands. As a society, we need to ask ourselves what privacy means to us. Who can we, or who do we want to, entrust with our data? What can we do to protect ourselves?

From raw materials to diamonds

  • If data is the raw material of our time, then adding value and prosperity are only pos­sible where this raw material is pro­ces­sed and refined. Yet that requires consistent rules and a clear stance. At Deutsche Te­le­kom, we are focusing on short-distance Internet: it is crucial that data does not pass through other juris­dictions when being moved around the net. What about data analysis? Only with anonymized or pseudonymized data. We must also constantly ensure that every individual
  • retains their sovereignty over personal data - meaning they have the opportunity to object to the use of this data. We are doing our utmost to ensure that the data entrusted to us is in safe hands with us - and we explain to customers how they can protect their own data. Since data security is something we can only deal with as a whole society, we are working closely with government agencies and other companies.

The right choice

  • It takes just 10 seconds to create a secure password that will thwart an attack. Our online guide www.sicherdigital.de shows you how to create a secure password and other ways of protecting yourself. Even if there is no such thing as total security – if you know about and use every security measure, you can protect your data as much as possible. If you’d like to know more about privacy and data security, please visit our website at www.tele­kom.com. In our digital sustainability maga­zine “We Care”, we also explain where the biggest traps lurk online - and explain, for example, why you should always act on a security update straight away.

No chance for hackers

  • One billion security-related items of data from around 3,000 sources! That’s how much information our in-house cyber defense team analyzes every day to ward off hacker attacks before they happen. 365 days of the year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Our experts monitor the infrastructure of Deutsche Telekom and our customers around the clock. Our Cyber Defense and Security Operation Center is one of the largest and most modern in Europe. Analysis tools help us identify behavior patterns that indicate a cyber attack has happened. On this basis, we can then quickly introduce counter­measures. We are continually developing new methods to keep up with the attack­ers. With the “drone shield”, for example, we offer data centers, stadia and authorities a solution to protect against the growing risk from private drones.

Transparent supply chains

  • Digital tools can help us to increase transparency in our supply chain - an important step in preventing violations of human and labor rights or environmental standards. We have over 30,000 suppliers from more than 80 countries, and they must all comply with strict ethical, social, ecological, and human rights require­ments. To monitor their sustainability performance, one of the tools we have is the online information system E-TASC, used industry-wide. We oblige strategically important or particularly high-risk suppliers to enter comprehensive self-assessments on the system. Based on this data, our experts can identify potential risks and introduce the necessary measures at an early stage. But not everything can be resolved digitally: on-site inspections and face-to-face discussions with suppliers allow us to ensure that they are actually complying with standards. Through all of these measures, we are contributing to the goal of the UN’s 2030 Agenda to promote supply chain sustainability (SDG 12). Read more in our article Not just a number.