Celebrate Data Privacy Day

What Is Data Privacy Day?

Each year on January 28, organizations and policy makers around the world celebrate Data Privacy Day. For those new to this important event, it’s a time to recognize and appreciate all things privacy and data protection.

The Council of Europe introduced Data Privacy Day April 26, 2006 to raise awareness for businesses and individuals about protecting the privacy of their information both online and on mobile devices. At a time when personal data is harder and harder to secure, this focus on education about individual rights and corporate responsibilities is a critical step toward fighting back against cyberattack and theft.

What Is Data Privacy?

At this point, you may be wondering exactly what data privacy encompasses. At its core, data privacy governs how sensitive personal information is collected, used, and shared. By contrast, the term “‘data security’” relates to how an organization protects information from both internal and external threats. Learn more about how these related terms differ in scope. 

Why Is Data Privacy Important?

No individual or business is immune from the impact of poorly handled data privacy. From exposed Social Security Numbers to sensitive medical data and more, the latest data breaches never fail to make headlines, particularly as a single breach can often affect so many people.

Tech Crunch recently shared the largest data breaches for 2024, which encompassed more than a billion records. These corporate disasters can be costly both in terms of reputation and money spent remediating the situation. Similarly, Infosecurity Magazine closed 2024 with a rundown of the year’s top 10 data protection fines and settlements. 

All compliance mandates have data security components, from HIPAA to SOX and GDPR to DORA. Data Privacy Day gives everyone a valuable opportunity to revisit the various elements that make up their security strategy and evolve them to improve data security and privacy practices.

Tips for Protecting Your Data

Discovery and Classification

Data privacy starts with knowing where your data lives, where it travels, and who handles it. This process involves detailed discovery and classification throughout your organization. If you’ve already completed this task, kudos! Now you can use Data Privacy Day to revisit your strategy and ensure you have the proper controls in place based on your latest business goals and requirements.

Password Hygiene

Stolen user credentials are common entry paths for criminal actors. Make sure employees are using strong, unique passwords across all their accounts. Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) is also highly effective for keeping unknown actors from gaining access to sensitive details. Password manager tools round out the list as another way to protect login credentials across all the devices an individual uses.

Vulnerability Management

Unpatched vulnerabilities are another common entry vector for threat actors. Revisit your scanning schedule, vulnerability prioritization, and patch management program on a regular basis to assess and prioritize risk remediation. Ensure you’re providing timely communication regarding your plan and identify potential barriers early to determine workarounds.

Employee Education

Employees are your first line of defense against cyberattack, so everyone’s company-wide cybersecurity and data privacy awareness should be on point. Make sure personnel across the organization at all levels understand the proper way to handle data, so they don’t put their own information or that of the company at risk. Remind them to lock their computers whenever they walk away from their desks and ensure they know how to spot email phishing attempts.