January 28th is Data Privacy Day

It seems like every day of the year has something associated with it, even if it isn't a holiday.  For example, May 4th is Star Wars Day, as in "May the Fourth be with you".  Get it?

Some even have more than one.  May 5th, in addition to Cinco de Mayo, is also known as 'Revenge of the Fifth', another Star Wars reference for the uninitiated.  It's also National Cartoonist's Day.

Today, January 28th, is Data Privacy Day.  According to the Federal Privacy Council, it came about from the signing of Convention 108, an international treaty concerning data protection and privacy, on January 28, 1981. Now, it has been expanded into Data Privacy Week.

The intent is to encourage both people and businesses to think about the importance of protecting personal information online.  In this age of identity theft and social media, that's an important topic, even if people do get tired of hearing about it.

What can we do as individuals?  Here are some tips from staysafeonline.org, part of the National CyberSecurity Alliance.

Ask yourself:

• Is what I'm getting really worth the information I'll be giving them, both what I'm knowingly providing and what could be mined from simply using it?
• Is this asking for more than it needs?  If you download and install a Sudoku app on your phone or tablet, why should it need to have access to your contacts or location?

It's a topic I'll certainly be thinking about this week.