Celebrate Data Privacy Day by Locking Down Your Data

Happy Data Privacy Day! Hope you got that special someone something nice.

The completely made-up holiday, feted by cybersecurity and digital privacy enthusiasts worldwide every Jan. 28, began in the US and Canada in 2008. It’s an extension of a European commemoration marking 1981’s Convention 108, the first legally binding international treaty on protecting privacy and data.

A lot has changed since then. Be they data brokers, cyber criminals or Fortune 500 companies, there’s no shortage of groups looking to get their hands on your data and use it for their own benefit. And it’s getting increasingly harder for you to keep it from them.

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center’s 2024 annual report, which was issued today, there were more than 3,000 data compromises last year, a total that nearly tied the record number of compromises reported in 2023.

While the number of compromises was essentially flat with that of the year before, the potential number of people affected by them soared. A total of 1.73 billion data breach notifications were issued last year, more than triple the number in 2023. The ITRC noted that about 1.4 billion of those notifications were tied to six mega breaches that accounted for at least 100 million notifications each. 

That may seem pretty scary. But while it’s essentially impossible to completely keep yourself and your information offline, a little bit of effort can go a long way toward minimizing your exposure.

On the off chance you are looking for a data privacy gift, we’ve got some great ideas. How about a password manager, security key or Virtual Private Network Subscription?

In the meantime, here are a few easy ways to safeguard your data and privacy. 

How to keep your private data private  

Set good passwords. Long, random and unique passwords are best. Don’t be tempted to recycle an old one, even if it’s great. Yes, that can be a lot to deal with. That’s where password managers come in. They’ll do the remembering for you.

From there, you can take a largely hands-off approach. Gone are the days when security experts would recommend they be changed every 90 days. Now, the emphasis is on length and uniqueness. Unless they’re compromised, you can largely set them and forget them.

That’s still a big pain for a lot of people. But there’s growing hope for passkeys, a more secure and increasingly popular authentication method, which could ultimately replace passwords in many instances. Companies like Apple and Google already use them. 

Turn on two-factor authentication. This technique requires using a second identifier — like your fingerprint, a code via an app notification or a physical key — in addition to your password. This will go a long way toward protecting you if your password gets compromised. 

Note: Avoid using SMS messages for two-factor authentication. Why? SIM swapping, in which cybercriminals steal your phone number by calling your wireless provider and having it switch your number to a new phone and SIM card. And if criminals take over your phone number, they’ll get that text message too.

Think before you share. Many people don’t think twice before handing over their birth date or mailing address when they sign up for an online account or a store’s rewards program, but you should.

That’s because you just never know where it might end up. It could be stolen in a data breach or sold to data brokers that could theoretically make it available to anyone. This also goes for artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT. Anything you enter into an AI becomes part of the AI and you’re not going to get it back. Keep your personal details out of them.

Consumers also can limit their data exposure while online shopping by checking out as a guest. It may take a few more minutes to type in your shipping and payment information each time, but it’ll keep that information from being saved in company systems.

And when you’re done with an online service, ask that your account and related data be permanently deleted, if possible. The company may not actually do it, but data that no longer exists can’t be stolen or sold.

Think about a VPN. With the vast majority of websites, especially those that deal with financial or personal information, now encrypted, security experts aren’t as wild about recommending the everyday use of virtual private networks for the average person. 

But some say they can be useful for people who are away from their usual networks, especially those traveling abroad. That said, consumers need to be cautious when choosing one. Free VPNs are generally a bad idea because they’re more likely to be using their customers’ data to make money. 

Keep an eye on your accounts. Monitor your bank and credit accounts for potentially fraudulent charges. If you don’t expect to be applying for credit anytime soon, freeze your credit reports. If a company offers you free credit monitoring because of a data breach or for any other reason, sign up for it.

Lock down your social media accounts. Make sure the only “friends” you’re sharing your information with are your actual friends. Even then, be careful what you disclose, especially when it comes to social media quizzes and other games. Seemly innocuous bits of information like the make and model of your first car or the elementary school you attended could be used to hack your passwords down the road, because those facts are often used in security checks.

Audit your logins and apps. Using Facebook or Google to automatically log in to your apps and websites gives them access to more of your data. Think twice before you do it. Not using an app anymore? Delete it and take away its access to the data you agreed to share when you first downloaded it.

Update everything. This doesn’t just apply to your operating systems and antivirus software. Your router, apps and all of those smart devices also need to be up to date. Patches to fix bugs and security problems can’t help you if you don’t install them. If you don’t know how to update your router, call your ISP or check online.