The National Cybersecurity Alliance encourages computer users to take control of their data by making informed decisions about the privacy of their information, including who has access to it and how it is used.

This encouragement comes as part of Data Privacy Week (Monday, January 27, through Friday, January 31), an international observance designed to empower people and businesses to respect privacy, safeguard data, and establish trust.

Data is collected from smartphones, computers, and other internet-connected devices, including watches and cars. The data can be stored indefinitely, giving businesses and organizations insight into your demographic information, socioeconomic status, and preferences.

Cloudflare, a content delivery network, states that data privacy is the protection of personal data from people who should not have access and the ability to determine who accesses an individual’s personal information. Personal information includes a user’s name, location, contact information, and online or real-world behavior.

Data privacy is important because of how the information can be used. The National Cybersecurity Alliance states that “Even seemingly innocuous information, such as your favorite restaurants or items you purchase online, can be used to make assumptions about you and your habits. Many companies have the opportunity to monitor the data of their users and consumers, and they sell the data for profit.” That is why it is important to manage data and have some choice in how the data is collected, shared, and sold, the Alliance said. Businesses and organizations should respect those choices.

According to Cloudflare, personal data that is not protected can be used by criminals to defraud or harass people. It can also be sold to advertisers or others without a user’s consent, which may lead to unwanted advertising, and a user’s activities may be tracked. One way people can protect their data is by managing their privacy. Users should determine what information a business or organization needs to provide the goods or services they are seeking.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you protect yourself online:

• All online activity generates data. Users should delete apps they no longer use. Understand the privacy and convenience tradeoff by making informed decisions about what information is shared. Determine if providing the requested information is worth the benefit received and if it is relevant or required for the offered services.
• Manage privacy by checking the privacy and security settings on all your systems. Devices, applications, and browsers have different features that help users select what information to share.
• Protect data by using long, unique passwords, and storing them in a password manager. Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) where it is available to add another layer of protection to data.
• Managing and protecting data is in the power of the user! More information and steps for controlling your data can be found on the Stay Safe Online website.