The European Commission, the Council of Europe and national Data Protection authorities proposed that European Data Protection Day be celebrated every January 28. A means to promote greater knowledge among citizens and companies about the rights and responsibilities in this matter and in general raise awareness of the need to maintain a degree of effective personal and business security in this complicated virtual world.
The creation of this European Data Protection Day dates back to 2006, when the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe established an annual day dedicated to this right in commemoration of the anniversary of the signing of Convention 108, the cornerstone of data protection in Europe in the quest to strengthen people’s control over their data and facilitate companies’ leap to the digital economy by harmonizing the level of protection throughout the EU.
From that agreement arose the General Data Protection Regulation European Regulation (GDPR), a new regulation that since May 2018 has been mandatory in all member states, affecting all types of companies, large or small, organizations of any kind or public government institutions at all levels of administration. Although the norm It is the most advanced on the planet at a continental leveldata breaches have not been contained and are one of the big problems in cybersecurity.
European Data Protection Day
Data protection is a ethical and legal obligation which is not easy to carry out given the limited perception of risk, the requirements demanded to fully safeguard customer and employee data, and the difficulty of complying with regulations as demanding as the aforementioned GDPR. Data protection is a path in constant evolution, and the legislative challenges are increasing, due to the rapid evolution of data processing systems.
In addition to the legal consequences, these data leaks invade the privacy of users and cause a distrust in the ability of companies to keep their customers safe. Of course, data leaks are exploited by cybercriminals for their campaigns of identity theft, blackmail, card theft or introduction of malware. Deepfakes, driven by artificial intelligence, were – along with ransomware – the main cyberattacks of 2025 and are a constant concern.
On the other hand, the interest of citizens and entities in relation to data protection has been growing progressively, going beyond mere legal compliance, having developed a true social awareness in this regard. «Citizens are increasingly aware of the value of their personal data, and this directly influences the decisions they make as consumers»they explain from the National Institute of Cybersecurity is cybersecurity, INCIBE.
Data protection in companies
And increasing security while respecting citizens’ right to privacy is undoubtedly a great challenge that requires proportion and balance. Here are some general tips that can help protect data and minimize the likelihood of non-compliance with regulations:
- Lock and protect sensitive customer datapatients or employees, especially sensitive data and personally identifiable information (PII) such as social security numbers, medical records or credit card data.
- Restrict employee access to sensitive data with network blocking especially on machines located in public spaces such as reception areas.
- Recycle and destroy customer datapatients or employees when they are not necessary, contained in physical and also virtual media such as second-hand computers or storage units sold or discarded.
- Implement privacy policies reviewed at least annually and with staff training.
- Use passwords. All staff must have a username and password changed at least every three months to prevent unauthorized access to computer equipment.
- It is advisable to carry out security audits and maintain continuous monitoring of data access.
- Use data encryption helps protect the privacy and security of computers, especially pen drives, laptops, mobile devices and backup drives.
- Ensure remote access to the business network with duly enabled virtual private networks and multiple authentication.
- Update operating systems and applications on a regular basis to prevent the use and use security suites with antivirus and firewalls, and software to resolve vulnerabilities in operating systems and applications.
Data protection at user level
In such a connected world and as happens in companies, it is not easy for the average user to keep their data safe. And it all starts with awareness of the need to act proactivelyunderstanding that virtual life must be protected today as much as physical life, adopting measures that we know by heart because they are part of any computer security guide, but that we do not always comply with.
For data protection, there are some essential measures to adopt that we remind you of:
- Common sense. Extreme caution with downloading and installing applications from unsafe sites; when browsing certain Internet pages; when opening emails and attachments; from SMSs or links from social networks or messaging applications. Always be wary of anything unsolicited.
- Software updates. It is essential to keep operating systems and applications updated, as older versions are at greater risk of being attacked by cybercriminals who find vulnerabilities in the software.
- Manage passwords well. Another of the golden rules of user data protection is the use of strong and varied passwords to access the Internet, services and equipment. You can use password managers or, if available, advanced biometric identification techniques.
- One 2FA. An access control method that you will know as “two-factor authentication” or “double identification” has become one of the most important security mechanisms in the technology industry when it comes to authenticating users and protecting identities.
- Avoid free wireless networks. Inherently insecure, they are a frequent source of data theft. They should only be used for inconsequential access and should be reinforced by VPN to increase security.
- Privacy policies. It is not easy in the face of so much ‘small print’ and little transparency, but it is advisable to review the companies’ policies on this matter before hiring or creating accounts in their services. Especially if you traffic our data to third parties. Too common on today’s Internet.
- Data encryption. A key feature in businesses that can also be used by a consumer to keep them protected, addressing threats such as data theft or exposure in the event of loss, theft or inappropriate removal of equipment.
- Backup. As it is impossible to maintain 100% data security, keeping backup copies of data safe on external devices is a good way to protect the information on a computer equipment and be able to restore it in case of loss.
