Data Privacy Day is an international effort that occurs annually on January 28th to raise security awareness and promote data protection best practices. LogRhythm’s CSO, James Carder, sheds light on why this day is so influential:
“Data Privacy Day serves as an important reminder for organization leaders to acknowledge their shared responsibility for cybersecurity and effective data protection across the entire business.”
Movements like these spark conversations that spread cybersecurity awareness to the general public and organization leaders across the globe. It is also the circumstances like COVID-19 remote work cybersecurity concerns and recent high-profile nation-state attacks, that act as a catalyst for the desire, need, and demand for more actions to be taken in order to safeguard sensitive information.
We can all agree on one thing…if our information is online, it is indeed vulnerable, but there are measures that individuals, companies, and the government can take to increase data protection efforts. You may find yourself wondering what data privacy laws exist or who is held accountable for protecting consumer data in the United States.
There is not currently an overarching and comprehensive federal data privacy law in the U.S. that compares to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); however, the U.S. does have vertically focused and sector-specific privacy laws that address regulations for industries such as healthcare, finance, telecommunications, and more (e.g., HIPAA, COPPA, GLBA).
Statutory laws also govern and address privacy issues for their residents. For example, revisions to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) give consumers more control over personal information that businesses collect about them. According to Office of the California Attorney General, this landmark law secures privacy rights to California consumers such as:
After CCPA led the way in 2018, momentum for state-level privacy bills is at an all-time high as more states continue to invest in regulation on data privacy; however, there is still a ton of legislation to be passed. James Carder predicts we can expect to see more states step up to lead change in privacy policy in 2021 and eventually influence federal privacy laws.
From apps and social media to online shopping and every-day transactions, the average citizen provides sensitive information to a ton of companies to comply with the digital demand of our society and economy — and increasingly, are feeling less control over their personal data because of it.
Take for example the recent privacy policy updates from WhatsApp: Users are upset with the new terms and conditions which state that the company reserves the right to share consumer data such as phone numbers, IP addresses, and payments made through the app with Facebook and other Facebook-owned platforms. Those who do not agree to the terms, will be locked out of WhatsApp on Feb. 8, 2021, leaving users with essentially no choice other than accepting the terms or seeking an alternative service.
It begs the question whether or not the average consumer truly understands the implications when they press the accept button to comply with policy updates from any company. Consumers need to develop a better understanding of how companies are using their data and how they access that information. With more and more companies experiencing breaches and increased sharing of our personal information, team members from LogRhythm Labs conducted interesting research to learn if the average citizen can gain access to their personal information that organizations keep records of. Do you have rights to your data? Here are the research results to help you answer that question.
Are you one of those people who are feeling a lack of control with their privacy online? Well, there is no better time than Data Privacy Day to take action and make habitual changes to improve protecting your personal data moving forward. Here is a list of privacy and data security tips for a more secure digital life:
From executives to the average individual, all of us at LogRhythm celebrate Data Privacy Day in order to foster awareness and promote education on how to live a more secure digital life. What steps are you taking in your personal and professional life to get involved with the data privacy movement? Join the cause by commenting your thoughts, ideas, or tips below!
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