Data Privacy Day, held on January 28 each year, is one of those holidays that we don’t celebrate in the proper sense of the word. You don’t get any gifts or a long-awaited day-off and nobody throws any big parties with long speeches and champagne. All over the world, this holiday is considered to be the time for IT professionals and executives to focus on protecting data privacy, and educating consumers about the importance of how valuable information is stored, shared, and used.
While quite a number of organizations have a custom to celebrate DPD every year, most businesses are still ignoring the need to observe it, and to convey the basic principles of data privacy to their employees or customers. However, with so many threats being out there nowadays, DPD might be just the right day to reconsider your approach to your organization’s and your own online safety.
Here are a few ways to properly celebrate this holiday.
Make DPD a corporate education day
Hold special seminars, webinars, quizzes, or any other educational activities that will serve to highlight the importance of keeping your organization’s business critical data secure. If there are any specific regulations that affect your data the most, then it’s definitely worth putting them on top of your agenda.
Talk to your clients
As for the customers, it would be a good idea to educate them about the extreme necessity of doing regular computer cleanups, changing passwords, as well as to provide them with tips on how to spot malware and any kinds of fraudulent activities. For remote support teams, it’s crucial to remind your clients about the ways to prevent their workstations from unauthorized remote access, as well as to tell the difference between a typical scammer and a real support agent.
Check your security systems
How long has it been since the last audit of your IT infrastructure’s security capabilities? In any way, DPD may be just the right time for you to review all strengths and weaknesses of your security system, search out of possible loopholes, and fix what must be fixed before it’s too late. Make sure that all of your equipment is up-to-date and compliant, get rid of the assets that you don’t really need, and have all workstations, laptops and mobile devices scanned for malware.
Don’t forget about your own privacy
While thinking about the liability to keep your company’s data safe, you must not forget about what matters the most – your own financial and other private information. Take time to change every password you’ve got for your social media accounts, emails, ecommerce websites, and so on. Try to keep them as different as possible. Perform a deep cleanup of your workstation, all personal, and maybe your relatives’ devices, and check for the latest anti-malware software updates. Last but not least, don’t forget to shut down every personal online account that’s not active anymore.
Have you made a habit of celebrating Data Privacy Day within your organization? If so, what is your way to observe this occasion? Don’t hesitate to share your stories in the comments section below.