When is Data Privacy Day?
Data Privacy Day occurs on January 28th.
What is Data Privacy Day?
Identity fraud is a bear, and that’s understating the matter. Anyone whose personal information has been strewn across the internet can tell you: it’s a nightmare. Around the world, data protection agencies and governments use Data Privacy Day to promote safe data practices.
The cybersecurity field is expanding, and thank goodness. A hacker strikes every 39 seconds or so, and companies that handle people’s personal data need the protection. Individuals can make all the right moves and protect themselves, but your data could still be stolen if your hospital or bank gets hacked.
In 2006, at least 100 million people were potentially exposed in about 320 major data breaches. The Council of Europe launched Data Privacy Day the next year to promote habits that will keep our private data private, safe from the hands of criminals who would abuse it.
Facts about Data Privacy Day!
- Identity thieves could get your private information by breaching companies that hold your data. There were 1,000 of these data breaches in 2016.
- Your car is statistically safer from theft than your identity.
- In 2017, over 7 million consumers had to face identity theft.
- Even when public Wi-Fi is password protected, a determined identity thief can watch your every move and snag your login credentials.
- You can’t replace your Social Security Number very easily. While you try, thieves could use it for years.
- Identity thieves target children.
How to celebrate Data Privacy Day:
- When shopping online, only fill out required fields, and ask yourself if requested information should actually be necessary to complete your order.
- Only shop online from https:// websites, which take additional steps to secure your information.
- Limit the kinds of websites you log into on public Wi-Fi. Avoid logging into your bank or email.
- Keep different passwords for different accounts, and use at least 12 characters for stronger passwords. You could make your password a sentence or a line from your favorite song.
- Research other practices for keeping your data safe.
What’s the hashtag for Data Privacy Day?
Spread the word about data privacy with #DataPrivacyDay on social media.