Every year, there are over a billion data breaches—just in the United States alone. Some of these breaches are serious, and others are relatively minor, but each year hundreds of millions of different records are exposed. And that’s why Data Privacy Day, also known as National Data Privacy Day, is such an important holiday for everyone to observe. This day, which falls on January 28th annually, reminds all of us of the importance of securing our data to keep it safe from prying eyes and from those who would seek to misuse it.

The History of Data Privacy Day

This holiday was officially launched in the U.S. and Canada in January of 2008. It was designed as an extension of the Data Protection Day that already existed throughout Europe. January 28th was chosen for this day because that’s when Convention 108 was signed into law in 1981. This legally binding treaty was the first of its kind to deal with data protection and privacy. This day was made official in the U.S. when Congress adopted S.RES 337 on January 27, 2014. This was a nonbinding resolution that expressed support for the holiday and designated January 28th as National Data Privacy Day.

How to Observe Data Privacy Day

The best way to observe this holiday is to make sure that you, your family, and your friends are staying safe online. That means reminding them to protect their personal information as they would their money and making sure that they are adequately protecting their privacy. Below are some tips that help everyone better protect their own privacy, as well as the privacy of their friends and family. After following the recommended courses of action below, a person can use the hashtag #DataPrivacyDay to let people know that they’re supporting this important day and have taken action to secure their personal data.

Guidelines for Privacy Protection:

• Share with Care—Think before sharing personal information online. Consider what the post reveals about people and how it might be perceived today, tomorrow, or years down the line.
• Keep Proper Digital Hygiene—It’s also important to keep a clean machine, both at home and at work. This means a machine that’s current with the latest updates, has the latest security software, and malware protection.
• Take Charge of Your Online Presence—It’s also important to make sure that you set all of your privacy and security settings to levels that you are comfortable with to ensure they’re not sharing information you don’t want them to share. Use the different features for each website, browser, or application you use.
• Acknowledge the Importance of Transparency—If you run a business, it’s important to be transparent about how you collect, use, and share your customers’ personal information. If customers feel like their data is being properly handled, then they will be more likely to trust your business.