Data Privacy Day

January 28 is Data Privacy Day (DPD), an annual effort promoting data privacy awareness and education. This year’s DPD events, sponsored by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), focus on how to Own Your Privacy.

The NCSA teaches users how to protect valuable data online, while encouraging businesses to Respect Privacy by protecting data they collect. CISA encourages users and businesses to visit NCSA’s website to learn more, including several calls to action:

For Individuals: Own Your Privacy

• Personal info is like money. Your purchase history, IP address, or location has tremendous value. Make informed decisions about whether or not to share such data with certain businesses.
• Keep tabs on your apps. Delete unused ones and keep others secure by performing updates.
• Manage your privacy and security settings. Continuously check them to limit what information you share.

For Businesses: Respect Privacy

• If you collect it, protect it. Make sure any personal data you collect is processed in a fair manner and is only collected for relevant and legitimate purposes.
• Consider adopting a privacy framework to manage risk and secure privacy within your organization.
• Asses data collection practices by evaluating which privacy regulations apply to your organization. 
• Transparency builds trust. Be honest with customers about how you collect, use, and share their personal information.
• Maintain oversight of partners and vendors. You are responsible for anyone collecting and using your consumers’ personal information.