Today, January 28th, is Data Privacy Day! The purpose of Data Privacy Day is to raise awareness about and promote best practices for data privacy and protection.
Today marks the ninth Data Privacy Day (DPD), an international effort held annually on January 28 to create awareness about the importance of privacy and protecting personal information. DPD, led by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) in North America, is the signature event of NCSA’s year-round privacy awareness campaign and is centered on the theme of “Respecting Privacy, Safeguarding Data and Enabling Trust.”
To coincide with DPD, NCSA and TRUSTe released the U.S. Consumer Privacy Index 2016, which reveals the extent of current consumer privacy concerns. According to the research, consumer privacy concern levels are rising quickly: 68 percent of consumers listed not knowing how their personal information is collected online as a top concern, compared with only 57 percent who ranked losing personal income at the top. Additionally, 45 percent of respondents are more worried about their online privacy than they were just one year ago; and 37 percent of respondents listed companies collecting and sharing their personal information with other companies as a top cause of concern.
We encourage you to use available tools and take actionable steps to manage your privacy, like limiting access on social media, keeping apps, software and devices up to date and understanding the value of your personal information.
Businesses, take this opportunity to remind your company’s employees to comply with your data privacy and protection policies and practices, and to integrate data protection into their daily work habits. Data Privacy Day is also a good time to assess (or reassess) your company’s exposure to data breaches.
Personally-identifiable information, or “PII”, is the information a company collects, stores and handles about its customers, employees, and business partners, usually in electronic formats. The most common types of PII breaches typically involve the loss or theft of PII by an employee or third party, the access or duplication of PII by an unauthorized party, the use of PII by an unauthorized person, and the unauthorized use of PII by an authorized party.
We can help you or your business assess your exposure to data breaches, as well as the associated cost and potential for sanctions and the standard of care for cybersecurity best practices.
If you or your business have questions or concerns regarding consumer protection, fraud, computer law, privacy, or cybersecurity law matters, contact attorney Jeffrey A. Franklin at Prince Law Offices.
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