National Data Privacy Day:

Celebrated on 28th January, the National Data Privacy Day is observed to motivate individuals and corporates to take privacy matters seriously and to protect their data from the online data scavengers.

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Related: Other National Days Celebrated on January 28th:

National Blueberry Pancake Day

Why National Data Privacy Day?

Too lazy to read the terms and conditions? Your personal information is at stake if you aren’t cautious enough! Read on to inform yourself about the various threats that endanger your data.

With the advent of the fourth industrial revolution the age-old adage which equates knowledge with power can be unquestionably replaced with the phrase, “data is power”.

While data has no intrinsic meaning on and of itself, when interpreted within the context, data becomes valuable information. Data gives key insights that propel industries and predict market trends. Well if you are wondering what data has to do with you, it’s high time you realized that you are data too!

Our life has become so integrated with technology that our phone and laptop knows more about us than our family members. From your recent search history, passwords to your music taste, all the data is stored in your gadgets.

It seems that we have knowingly or unknowingly opted for an easier life without a blinking thought on what information we are putting out there and what risk it poses to us. Wondered anytime, what is the purpose of the silly online games that collect information such as our food preferences, childhood, or even pets? Well, they are collecting our data, for starters and what they do with the data legally or illegally is another issue of its own.

Data can be used for targeted advertising, campaigning and in the worst cases, stolen data results in identity theft. If you did notice that your social media accounts or mail, spammed with advertisements on products that have crossed your conversations or those related to your search history.

The conclusion is quite simple, yes your data is being passed on for commercial purposes. If you have the habit of clicking away terms and conditions and a generous heart to accept cookies from all the sites, your data is probably flying around on the dark web.

Cybersecurity has become a great concern in all facets of corporate and individual life. Whether you are ordering a pair of earphones, surfing the net, or availing of any service, your online activities are being constantly processed and without adequate security, you can become a victim of financial fraud or data breach.

Anyone who has access to the world wide web also needs to be aware of the rampant cyber-attacks and should actively monitor his/her security. While the right to protection of personal information exists, being negligent about security concerns is a recipe for a disaster.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to take care of your cyber-security. Non-profit partnerships like the NCSA ( National Cyber Security Alliance ) conduct various awareness programs throughout the year and provide the tools and services you need to upgrade your security system.

The NCSA encourages and empowers you to take matters of privacy into your own hands. Under the banner of the NCSA and the Anti-phishing working group, the awareness campaign STOP. THINK.CONNECT is organized for global netizens. This program educates the user on safe networking practices under the leadership of the US Department of Homeland Security.

With many online resources and data privacy campaigns, you have no excuse to jeopardize your or your family’s personal information and security. Privacy ethics, virtues, and values are some factors that you need to look into to ensure safe online practices.

Compliance to the security protocols and updating your privacy settings will make your online affairs less perilous than it has to be. The National Data Privacy Day is an observance of global relevance right from an individual level to community affairs.

On this day, let us strive to uphold the shared responsibility for privacy protection. At home, school, or work; privacy matters, your safety matters.

How Can We Observe National Data Privacy Day:

• DIY Privacy Skills

Here are a few tips to work on your security:

-When you get a new device make sure that you update the privacy settings of applications,    programs, and social media accounts.

– Avoid the use of unsecured wifi, particularly in the case of online transactions.

– Keep track of your bank statements and cross-check for any unprecedented transactions that you notice.

-Update your software to wade off hackers.

– Boost your password strength with symbols and numbers and do not save your passwords on your device.

– Do not share your personal information on online quizzes, games, and sites.

– Use a firewall to keep the viruses and hackers in check.

• A Privacy Champion

Become a privacy champion by being part of data privacy campaigns and programs.

• Privacy essentials

Check out the governmental resources available for your school, company, or home to get your privacy game going.

• Contribute To Safety

You can sponsor or contribute to various non-profit and governmental organizations that work towards data privacy education and awareness.

• Spread the Word, Spread Safety

Share your tips on enhancing security through videos, posts, and infographics on social media using #NationalDataPrivacyDay and #DataPrivacyDay

Interesting Facts On National Data Privacy Day:

Few Facts Related To National Data Privacy Day

• The National Data Privacy Day originated in Europe and was known as, ‘Data Protection Day’.
• National Data Privacy Day is observed in Canada, US, Israel along with Forty-Seven European countries.
• Some of the collaborators involved in the Data Privacy and Protection day include universities like Carnegie Mellon and Georgetown University. Organizations like the FBI, FTC, FCC, Identity theft council, Data Security Council Of India, New York State Attorney General Office, EDUCAUSE, Anti-Phishing Working Group, the UK Information Commissioner are also involved.
• The data protection treaty, known as the “Convention 108” consists of guidelines on Data Protection and Artificial Intelligence.
• Convention 108 emphasizes the right to protection of personal data and the regulation of AI applications such that they function without violating the data protection Act.
• The AI developers, service providers, policymakers, and even the manufacturers have a key role in devising and distributing software and products that do not defy the right to data protection
• The Stefano Rodotà Award is presented to the academic projects and researches on data protection
• Ingrida Milkaite and Eva Lievens from Ghent University were the first recipients of the Stefano Rodotà award for their project which looks into the privacy and data protection matter from a perspective hinged on children’s rights.

History Of National Data Privacy Day:

The National Data Privacy Day commemorates the signing of Convention 108 on January 28, 1981. Convention 108 is the first international treaty that deals with data protection and privacy. The National Data Privacy day observance began in Europe and was later recognized in countries such as the US and Canada by 2008. According to the S Res 337 resolution adopted by the 113th US congress on January 27th in 2014, January 28 was designated as the National Data Privacy Day.