As the headlines, news coverage, and even some of the talk show monologues continue to swirl around us – especially as it regards TikTok and, just this week, DeepSeek AI – it is fitting, perhaps, that it’s also Data Privacy Week.

Celebrated annually since 1981, this year’s theme is “Take Control of Your Data”; a sentiment that, given recent events, might be more than a little ironic and maybe (still) somewhat overwhelming. And that is true whether we’re talking about ourselves, or if you’re either a small business owner, or if you work as part of a non-profit organization.

After all, at its core, data privacy is important because it protects personal information, builds trust, and prevents harm. It also helps protect each of us from being a victim of identity theft and fraud by doing, just as the theme encourages us to do, to control our data.

Starting with our own online privacy, there are several steps we can take, according to the National Cybersecurity Alliance, even if we’re at home, that includes:

• Limiting the personal information you share on social media.
• Browsing in what is known as “private mode”.
• Using a different search engine.
• Considering the use of a VPN (virtual private network).
• Being careful where you click.
• Securing your mobile devices.
• Using quality antivirus software on all of your devices.

If you own a small business, data privacy is vital for protecting your customers’ and employees’ personal and financial information. In doing so, you’ll be able to maintain a positive reputation and comply with data protection laws, as well as minimize the risk of a costly data breach (keeping in mind that the average length of time for a company to identify and recover from a data breach is 279 days).

Even with these kinds of threats, being proactive with your data privacy can even provide your business with a competitive advantage by demonstrating a commitment to customer security, especially in an era where privacy concerns are growing. There are also other resources out there in the way of free advice that can be found in a podcast from reputable organizations such as the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

For a non-profit organization, data privacy is crucial for a lot of the same reasons as it is for a business. Maintaining the trust and loyalty of its donors is the foundation, upon which its ability to successfully raise funds and receive donations is built. By protecting its data, these organizations retain their credibility, and it enables them – at every level – to follow through on their ethical responsibility to safeguard the identity of someone they collect data from.

Here in Indiana, there are free-to-download resources involving data privacy and cybersecurity that are specifically designed to benefit all Hoosiers.

• Indiana Privacy Toolkit – Compiled by the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity's (IECC) Privacy Working Group, the information in the Toolkit is drawn from the Group's members' knowledge and expertise in privacy and cybersecurity as leaders from the public and private sectors.

The purpose of the online toolkit is intended to help organizations gain a better understand of how privacy “works” and why it’s important. It is meant to be a step-by-step guide, with information tailored specifically for (you guessed it) small businesses, nonprofits and local government. Think of it as your own, in-house privacy handbook, from which you can rely on to help you navigate through the myriad of challenges related to technology and cyber threats.

• PII Guidebook 2.0 – In addition to the Toolkit, the IECC Privacy Working Group updated its PII Guidebook 2.0 to help provide Indiana businesses, small and large, with a more in-depth understanding of what constitutes "PII" (including how it's defined) as part of our daily lives, and what to look for, when it comes to identifying the personal identifying information that requires a heightened degree of protection.
• Indiana Cybersecurity Scorecard – Developed by the State of Indiana and Purdue University, this 22-question online tool will provide you -- in less than 15 minutes -- with a score (and a report) of where your organization stands in terms of cybersecurity preparedness.

As we wrap up the month of January, it’s important for all of us to keep the celebration of Data Privacy Week going every day and throughout the year.

Because while it’s true that, on any given day, there will be news stories that capture our attention for a few days, maybe even a couple of weeks. From there, it’ll be something else that gets us to move on to other things happening in our world.

The difference is, unlike the news cycle, each of us has the ability to control our own personal data and we can do it in a way that allows us to experience it in a way that is meaningful and secure.