In today’s article, all of us here at Attain Technology wanted to talk through some topics in regard to data privacy — since it is, in fact, Data Privacy Week!
We are going to cover what Data Privacy Week is, the top data privacy stats in 2023, and the best ways you can protect your data from cybercriminals. Let’s dive in.
What is Data Privacy Week?
Founded by the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA), Data Privacy Week is an extension of Data Privacy Day which had its beginnings in Europe on January 28, 1981. On that day, Convention 108 was signed which signified the first legally binding international treaty that dealt with both privacy and data protection issues.
Today, that holiday has evolved into Data Privacy Week which runs from January 22nd – 28th to give companies and consumers alike a time to become aware of the reality of cyber risks through compromised data.
To give a big-picture overview of the risks associated with data privacy, here are a few of the most eye-opening data privacy statistics for 2023.
Data Privacy Stats [2023]
- 67% of Americans are unaware of their country’s privacy and data protection regulations.
- 79% of Americans are concerned about how companies use their data.
- According to Tableau, 63% of users believe most companies are not transparent about how their data is used.
- 60% of users say they would spend more money with a brand they trust to handle their personal data responsibly.
- 46% of customers said they feel they have lost control of their own data.
- 48% of users have stopped buying from a company over privacy concerns.
- The average data breach costs $150 per record lost.
- 97% of companies have seen benefits like a competitive advantage or investor appeal from investing in privacy.
- According to IBM, Healthcare topped the costliest industries for data breaches, averaging $9.23 million.
- 107 countries have put in place legislation to secure the protection of data and privacy.
3 Best Data Privacy Tips for Your Business
During Data Privacy Week, it’s important to take stock of the security measures in place at your business.
So, how can you protect your business’s data (and customer’s data) against cyber attacks? Here are our 3 best data privacy tips for your business today:
1. Understand the Current State of Your Digital Footprint
Before anything else, you need to audit your company’s current digital footprint.
This includes finding out who has access to pertinent login information, where your company has cyber vulnerabilities, and more.
The goal is to ensure that you’re company isn’t an easy target for fraudsters.
2. Educate Everyone in Your Organization About Data Privacy
One of the best ways to keep cyber threats at bay is to educate your employees with comprehensive data privacy training. During these pieces of training, you can inform your employees about what data privacy is, how they play a role in it, and the data privacy policies your company has instilled.
All in all, it’s important that all staff are aware of how their actions can affect data privacy and security.
3. Prepare for the Future
Lastly, you will want to prepare for the future.
This will be the time when you come up with (or improve upon) your strategy. This will also be the time when you will ask questions like: “What additional policies can we put in place to ensure that our data stays threat-free?”, “What can we do to tackle our current cyber issues?”, or “How often do we want to host cybersecurity training for our employees?”
Asking these questions will get you off to a good start toward a cyber risk-free future. But the best way to mitigate threats is to team up with cybersecurity experts, like the ones we have here at Attain Technology.
Secure Your Business in a Changing Environment with Attain Technology
As a business, you have the tools and resources needed to protect your confidential data from malicious forces.
Our hope is that this article has opened your eyes to the evident threat of cyber attacks and what you can do to protect your business (and customers) from digital harm.
What steps can you take today to safeguard your business?
Need a cybersecurity partner with the background and experience to protect your data from cybercriminals? At Attain Technology, we are 100% committed to making sure your business has the most reliable and managed IT support in New England. Get a quote today!
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