Data Privacy Day is a global effort, which takes place annually on January 28th. It generates awareness about the importance of privacy, highlights easy ways to protect personal information and reminds organisations that privacy is good for business. This year, we are encouraging individuals to “Own Your Privacy” by learning more about how to protect the valuable data that is online, and encouraging businesses to “Respect Privacy”, which advocates for holding organisations responsible for keeping individuals’ personal information safe from unauthorised access and ensuring fair, relevant and legitimate data collection and processing.
Gemserv has announced its commitment to Data Privacy Day by registering as a Champion for the campaign. As a Champion, Gemserv recognises and supports the principle that all organisations share the responsibility of being conscientious stewards of personal information.
“We need to rethink trust in an era of unprecedented global changes,” said Llinos Bradley, Senior Data Protection Consultant, Gemserv. “The pandemic has accelerated the reliance of consumers on online services for every aspect of their life (shopping, working, education, exercise, healthcare), therefore organisations which protect consumer trust will be those which will thrive while consumers continue to approach those organisations that make them feel safe and keep their information secure.”
As technology evolves and the pandemic continues to influence how consumers interact with businesses online, data collection practices are becoming increasingly unavoidable, making it imperative that companies act responsibly.
“In recent years, we’ve seen the impact of more global awareness surrounding the abuse of consumer data, thanks to sweeping privacy measures like GDPR and CPRA,” said Kelvin Coleman, Executive Director, NCSA. “And while legislative backing is key to reinforcing accountability for poor data privacy practices, one major goal of Data Privacy Day is to build awareness among businesses about the benefits of an ethical approach to data privacy measures separate from legal boundaries.”
The National Cyber Security Alliance has offered the following tips to help guide individuals and businesses to better data privacy practices, such as:
For Individuals
- Personal info is like money: Value it. Protect it. Personal information, such as your purchase history, IP address, or location, has tremendous value to businesses – just like money. Make informed decisions about whether or not to share your data with certain businesses by considering the amount of personal information they are asking for, and weighing it against the benefits you may receive in return.
- Keep tabs on your apps. Many apps ask for access to personal information, such as your geographic location, contacts list and photo album, before you can use their services. Be thoughtful about who gets that information, and wary of apps that require access to information that is not required or relevant for the services they are offering. Delete unused apps on your internet-connect devices and keep others secure by performing updates.
- Manage your privacy settings. Check the privacy and security settings on web services and apps and set them to your comfort level for information sharing. Each device, application or browser you use will have different features to limit how and with whom you share information. Get started with NCSA’s Manage Your Privacy Settings page.
For Businesses
- If you collect it, protect it. Data breaches can not only lead to great financial loss, but a loss in reputation and customer trust. Follow reasonable security measures to keep individuals’ personal information safe from inappropriate and unauthorised access. Make sure the personal data you collect is processed in a fair manner and only collected for relevant and legitimate purposes.
- Consider adopting a privacy framework. Build privacy into your business by researching and adopting a privacy framework to help you manage risk and create a culture of privacy in your organisation.
- Conduct an assessment of your data collection practices. Understand which privacy laws and regulations apply to your business. Educate your employees of their and your organisation’s obligations to protecting personal information.
- Transparency builds trust. Be open and honest about how you collect, use and share consumers’ personal information. Think about how the consumer may expect their data to be used and design settings to protect their information by default. Communicate clearly and concisely to the public what privacy means to your organisation and the steps you take to achieve and maintain privacy.
- Maintain oversight of partners and vendors. If someone provides services on your behalf, you are also responsible for how they collect and use your consumers’ personal information.
About Gemserv
Gemserv is an expert provider of professional services in a world driven by data and technology. It is a purpose-driven company, working across multiple sectors, including cyber and digital, energy, low carbon, the public sector and health to tackle today’s social and environmental challenges. The business provides consultancy and outsourcing capabilities to make markets work better, to help organisations harness the power of digital transformation and to ensure people’s data is better protected and used ethically.
About Data Privacy Day
Data Privacy Day began in the United States and Canada in January 2008 as an extension of the Data Protection Day celebration in Europe. Data Protection Day commemorates the Jan. 28, 1981, signing of Convention 108, the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection. NCSA, the nation’s leading nonprofit, public-private partnership promoting cybersecurity and privacy education and awareness, leads the effort in North America each year. For more information, visit: Stay Safe Online.
About the National Cyber Security Alliance
NCSA is the Nation’s leading nonprofit, public-private partnership promoting cybersecurity and privacy education and awareness. NCSA works with a broad array of stakeholders in government, industry and civil society. For more information on NCSA, please visit Stay Safe Online.
