With Data Privacy serving as an important throughline between all of M3AAWG’s organizational priorities, we are proud to champion this year’s Data Privacy Week (January 26–30) and its “Take Control of Your Data” theme.

“Most users on the internet are wholly unaware of the amount of data that their devices are gathering and sharing with various entities. There are several laws to protect users, though they are inconsistent and not comprehensive. They leave numerous loopholes through which organizations are legally allowed to continue these activities. Data Privacy Week should be used globally by privacy advocates, users, and the general public to speak up for their right to data privacy,” said Alex Brotman, Co-Chair of M3AAWG’s Data and Identity Protection Committee.

The global campaign from the National Cybersecurity Alliance encourages people to take simple steps that can go a long way toward building a safer internet. In lockstep with the campaign, M3AAWG is strongly encouraging:

• Organizations handling data must respect all individuals’ rights to privacy.
• Individuals to make informed decisions about their data and who has access to it.
• Individuals review programs and apps that are installed, and uninstall any they no longer use or need to prevent dormant apps from collecting data from those systems.

“Data privacy is a common thread within all of M3AAWG’s organizational priorities. Most notably, we look to our Policy & Regulations and User & Endpoint Priority Committees for leadership in this realm, and we are keen to support educational efforts like this that reflect today’s evolved threat landscape,” said Amy Cadagin, M3AAWG Executive Director.

User & Endpoint: An Essential Partner in Data Privacy

Both M3AAWG’s priorities and Data Privacy Week recognize that adversaries target people through the devices and apps they use every day, and a more informed public is a significant layer of defense in intercepting harm before it is delivered and the consequences begin.

Simple steps users can take to protect themselves can often be implemented with a couple of swipes in an app’s Settings section. Data Privacy Week calls on individuals to:

• Think critically when apps and services request access to personal data. Ask yourself: Is the trade-off between privacy and convenience worth it? Is the service worth the risk?
• Take the time to adjust privacy and security settings. Make sure you are aware of and comfortable with the amount of personal data you are sharing with apps and websites.
• Follow the Core 4. 
  • Use long, unique passwords
  • Always enable multifactor authentication (MFA)
  • Keep devices, software, and apps up to date
  • Be alert for scam attempts across all messaging platforms.

“When data brokers harvest your data, it puts you at greater risk for spam, scams, and targeted phishing attacks. The tips and education promoted during Data Privacy Week meet people where they are and are easy to follow,” added Amy.

Policy & Regulation: Applying M3AAWG’s Expertise to Enact Change

M3AAWG’s Policy & Regulation Priority Committee provides technical guidance on legislation, policy decisions, industry standards, and other legal frameworks that best reflect the collective expertise of this organization and industry as a whole.

Global inconsistencies in data protection laws and regulations make this week especially important within our Policy & Regulation Priority.

“Given the differences and deficiencies among privacy laws, folks should take care to protect their data. There is no better time than today to review who has access to data and who it is being shared with. Data protection starts with the users, and the right to data privacy should be a given, not an exception,” Alex said.

The Next Steps in Data Protection

If you are a M3AAWG Member interested in our User and Endpoint Priority Committee, you can get more information here and consider attending our upcoming General Meeting in San Diego. You can also subscribe to this blog and follow M3AAWG on Facebook and LinkedIn for tips on how to stay mindful of data privacy.

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