Data Privacy Day 2023: History, Significance and Tips To Protect Your Data

DATA PRIVACY DAY 2023: In last few years, the digital world has seen enormous growth that was hard to contemplate two decades ago. People have been driven to enter the digital world, whether it’s for online shopping or digital payments. However, with practically everything available online and easily accessible with a few clicks, securing data is a top priority for everyone.

One must supply basic information, such as name, address, and occasionally even bank information, in order to avail of most online services. However, We need to reconsider what we disclose about ourselves, when and where we share it, and with whom as a result of our growing dependence on digital technologies to handle every aspect of life. Failure to protect one’s privacy could result in exploitation in addition to financial losses.

Data Privacy Day is observed today, January 28, to raise awareness of the value of online privacy, which has been proclaimed a fundamental right of a citizen. The Council of Europe on April 26, 2006, decided to coin a Data Protection Day and announced that it will be observed each year on January 28, the day on which the Council of Europe’s data protection convention, known as “Convention 108,” was opened. Data Protection Day is now observed worldwide and is known as Privacy Day outside of Europe.

Tips that you can follow to keep your data protected from unwanted breaches

1. Protect your IDs and passwords
   Create strong passwords for all your accounts, be it social media accounts or any accounts that involve financial transactions.
2. Avoid oversharing on social media
   Everyone likes to share snippets of their life on social media, however, always make sure to restrict the sharing of any personal information on social media platforms or messaging applications.
3. Protect your devices
   It is essential to have anti-theft hardware and software installed on laptops and desktops that contain crucial personal data.
4. Regularly update software and applications
   Data breaches can often be caused due to outdated applications or software which could have weaker security levels. This makes updating them from time to time very important as it fixes any security vulnerability that may exist.
5. Watch for any scope of data leak
   Always be alert for phishing attempts in emails, ads and unknown websites that ask for your details such as phone numbers and mail ids.
6. Maximize privacy settings
   To ensure that your accounts and the data on them are safe, turn on multi-factor authentication on your social media accounts wherever possible. This will ensure a secondary layer of protection to your accounts and prevent unwanted breaches.