This week, Amy Landry takes a slight break from sharing job searching tips and instead talks about Data Privacy Day. Why? Because today is Data Privacy Day, and privacy affects everyone!
According to the UN, 128 out of 194 countries have passed legislation to secure the protection of data and privacy.[1] Gartner shared back in the fall of 2020 that 65 percent of the world’s population will have its personal data covered by a modern privacy regulation – up from 10 percent in 2020.[2]
Data Privacy Day started back in 2007 in the EU, with the Council of Europe proclaiming European Data Protection Day. Then, two years later, the U.S Congress passed legislation also recognizing January 28 as National Data Privacy Day. The day has grown to be celebrated internationally, always being observed on January 28 with the goal “to create awareness about the importance of respecting privacy, safeguarding data and enabling trust.” This year, the EU will actually be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the signing of Convention 108 – the only international legally binding agreement on data protection.
And just because you are not working or are looking to transition into a new field doesn’t mean you cannot make an impact today (or any day). You can still learn, promote and demonstrate good privacy, security or ethics and compliance practices in your personal life. There will be lots of online events today for you to join. Let’s be honest: Companies strive every day to get their employees to adopt the same practices they follow at work at home, especially now, in our pandemic-driven work-from-home environment. What a great way to show a potential employer that you are already aware of and following many of the best practices!
In the U.S., Data Privacy Data is led by the National Cyber Security Alliance,[3] a public/private partnership that implements broad-reaching education and awareness efforts to empower users at home, work and school with the information they need to keep themselves, their organizations, their systems and their sensitive information safe and secure online. This year, the focus is on encouraging individuals through calls to action to “Own Your Privacy” and for businesses to “Respect Privacy.”
The advice for individuals:
- Think of your personal information like it is money: Value it and protect it.
- Keep tabs on your apps: Be thoughtful about who gets certain information and delete apps no longer being used.
- Manage your privacy settings by limiting how and with whom you share information.
The advice for businesses:
- If you collect it, protect it.
- Consider adopting a privacy framework (e.g., NIST Privacy Framework, which is one year old this month, or ISO/IEC 27701).
- Conduct an assessment of your data collection practices and educate your employees on their and your company’s obligations around protecting personal information.
- Transparency builds trust, so be open and honest about how you collect, use and share personal information.
- Maintain oversight of partners and vendors. If someone provides services on your behalf, you are also responsible for how they collect and use personal information.
For more information on each of these calls to action and to find an event in your area to join, go to https://staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-day/about-dpd/. Looking forward to seeing how everyone celebrates #DPD2021. And who knows? Maybe soon it will be Data Privacy Week or Data Privacy Month, just like we have with ethics & compliance and cybersecurity.
[1] UNCTAD: Data Protection and Privacy Legislation Worldwide
[2] Gartner Says By 2023, 65% of the World’s Population Will Have Its Personal Data Covered Under Modern Privacy Regulations.
[3] https://staysafeonline.org/about/
Amy Landry is a Senior Compliance and Privacy Specialist at Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, a provider of managed care services for members an their families in North Carolina. Prior to joining Cardinal Innovations, Amy spent 12 years working for multiple ethics and compliance vendors.
She is the author of a Data Privacy and Security compliance eLearning course with Peak Compliance Training, and now blogs about her decision to make a career shift from working for a vendor to an in-house compliance post.
Amy says she is a firm believer in continuous learning, evidenced by her active CCEP and CIPP/US certifications. She earned her M.A. in International Commerce and Policy at George Mason University and a double B.A. in International Studies and Russian at The University of Alabama. Connect with her on 
