Data Privacy Day

Data Privacy Day History

Data Privacy Day is an international effort aimed at raising awareness and promoting privacy and data protection best practices. This important day originates from the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data, signed on January 28, 1981, to set privacy standards for data shared across borders.

The United States began recognizing Data Privacy Day in 2008 and it is now led by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). The focus of this event is to empower individuals and business to respect privacy, safeguard data and enable trust. It encourages internet users to consider the privacy implications of their online actions, highlighting the protection of personal information as everyone's responsibility.

Given the rise of cyber crimes and data breaches, Data Privacy Day has grown in relevance. It equips people with the tools and information they need to protect their digital footprint. Data Privacy Day is marked by a number of events, webinars and resources to draw attention to the cause, foster dialogue and create a culture of privacy awareness. Every year, on January 28th, the day serves to reinforce the need for vigilance in protecting personal information in the digital age. Data Privacy Day is observed annually on January 28th.

Facts about Data Privacy Day

• According to a report by the Pew Research Center, in 2023, about 67% of Americans do not understand what happens with their personal data.
• According to USA.gov, the most popular types of scams reported in 2023 were:
  1) Robocalls and Scam Texts
  2) Romance Scams
  3) Spoofing
  4) Charity Scams
  5) Money Transfer or Mobile Payment services scams
• According to IBM, in 2023, data breaches costed $9.48 million in the U.S.
• Facts about Data Privacy:
  1) California has its own privacy law: the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act). It gives Californians the right to know what personal information businesses collect about them, where it came from, and what they’re doing with it.
  2)Many privacy regulations require organizations to get consent from individuals before collecting or processing their personal data. This has led to increased attention on consent management processes.
  3)The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), a nonprofit organization, leads the Data Privacy Day campaign in North America.

In the News and Trending for Data Privacy Day

Top things to do for Data Privacy Day

• Make sure your data is secure. A few ways to ensure your data is protected is by using two-factor authentication, using different passwords, and by using a VPN. You can learn more about VPNs Here.
• Reevaluate your password strength. If you have used the same password for years, consider updating it or changing it to something new. Use phrases or sentences, or even a random password generator. Be sure to write down your new password somewhere so you don't forget it.
• Watch a film about data breaches and data security to better understand the risk involved. Here are our suggestions:
  The Great Hack (2019)
  Anon (2018)
  Zero Days (2016)