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Data Privacy Day is an international event that occurs every year on 28 January. Never heard of it? Chances are that you're not alone. The day was created back in 2007 to bring awareness to the “importance of respecting privacy, safeguarding data, and enabling trust.”
As you may know, one of our founding cornerstones here at Artifcts is privacy. We believe your information is yours and yours alone. We will not sell or otherwise transact the personal information you entrust with us. Similarly, we want to ensure you are in control of your information and data, which is why we’ve made it easy for you to upload and download your files and your Artifcts.
We also make it clear in our Content & Community Policy that you retain not only the right but also the ownership of any information you use in creating your Artifcts. This includes copyright. Sadly, not all online platforms share our beliefs. When signing up for new online or app based services, be on the lookout for:
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- Memberships plans that end up turning your information public or shared within the platform if you do not pay certain continuing fees.
- Where the personal information you upload is being stored – a private server or another third-party platform like YouTube with another set of privacy practices to review?
- Who owns the information you upload? For example, does it become part of the commercial commons in the name of the greater good? Do you support that no matter what (because there may be no going back)?
- Default settings that favor making everything public, including your name, posts, and permission to use your activity for targeted ads and other purposes.
- If it’s a site or service you will depend upon, consider setting a Google Alert for changes in privacy policies, data breaches and other key terms so that if you should miss an email from the company or a headline, you’ll have yet another opportunity to hear about it and take action.
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What Should You Take Away from Recent Media Headlines?
Recent news reports underscore the importance of putting your privacy first and foremost. Forbes reported on 22 January 2024 that security researchers had recently uncovered the largest data breach to date, including 26 billion personal records across Dropbox, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others. The researchers note that malicious actors could "leverage the aggregated data for a large range of attacks, including identity theft, sophisticated phishing schemes, targeted cyber-attacks, and unauthorized access to personal and sensitive accounts."
Seeing reports like this can lead us to falsely believe that there isn't much we, as individuals, can do to protect our privacy. That’s simply not true. There are several simple steps you can take to enhance your privacy and safeguard your data wherever you have online accounts and transactions. And, if you’re a member of the Arti Community, you will have received an email from us today encouraging you to do a privacy check up on Artifcts.com, following many of these same guidelines:
- PASSWORDS. Have you changed yours lately? We recommend you update your passwords at least once a year. And while you’re at it, ensure that your password is a strong password, that is, take that leap to 16 characters, and include alpha numeric and special characters.
- TWO FACTOR AUTHENTICATION. You may not like another step in your process, but you should use it, where available, especially when dealing with financial or personal, sensitive information, like medical records. Two factor authentication simply means that in addition to your login, you will be prompted for a second means of authenticating that it’s really you. This could be a text, a call, or an email. Do a quick scrub of all your online banking and medical accounts to double check that two factor authentication is set up, and that your second means of authentication is up to date.
- PRIVATE BROWSING. Don’t want Google to track your every move? Consider using a private window in your Chrome, Brave, Safari, or other web browser (go to File > New Private Window, or similar path). Or use a privacy-first browser from the get-go, such as Duck Duck Go or Brave. These browsers do not store your personal information or follow you around the Web with ads.
- WHEN IN DOUBT, DON'T CLICK! If you receive an email from an unknown sender with an attachment or link, don’t download, don’t click, and just to be extra safe, delete it. What if you receive the link from a trusted contact? If it is out of the ordinary, or something you were not expecting, text, call, or otherwise double check outside of email just to be safe. Cyber criminals are getting smarter and developing new tactics seemingly daily, including spoofing (i.e. impersonating) email addresses.
Interested in learning more or looking for other resources? The Future of Privacy Forum has helpful infographics and educational materials, especially tips for protecting youth online. The Electronic Privacy Information Center also offers simple guidelines for consumer privacy and a break-down of some of the most common internet scams.
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