The National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) announced its program for this year’s Data Privacy Week 2022, which began Monday.

Expanding into a week-long initiative for the first time, NCA highlighted Data Privacy Week will help spread awareness about digital privacy — including educating citizens on how to manage their personal information and keep it secure — and encouraging businesses to respect data and be more transparent about how they collect and use customer data.

“With so much noise surrounding cybersecurity, people and businesses are often left with the dangerous misperception that there is nothing they can do on their own to manage their digital privacy or that it is an ‘all-or-nothing proposition,’ but the reality is quite different,” said Lisa Plaggemier, interim executive director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance.

“With just a little bit of clear guidance and tips, individuals and businesses can take back control of their digital lives, identify the most trustworthy partners and strike the perfect balance between privacy and convenience,” Plaggemier continued in a news release. “That’s why we have expanded Data Privacy Day into a full week-long initiative so that we can provide a huge slate of content and events that individuals and businesses can tap into so that they can take back control of their digital lives.”

This year’s Data Privacy Week content and events are centered around two key themes:

• Theme No. 1: Keep it private: A guidebook for consumers — everything you do online generates data

NCA acknowledged there’s data about your activities, behaviors, and interests. The organization said there’s your personal data, like your Social Security and driver’s license numbers. And there’s data about the physical you, like health data.

“It’s easy to feel a lack of control over the information collected about you,” the alliance said. “However, there are steps you can take to learn about the types of data you’re generating online, and how it’s collected, shared and used. And with that, this year’s Data Privacy Week will provide in-depth guides, tips and insights that can help individuals better navigate the digital world and encourage others to do the same.”

• Theme No. 2: Respect privacy: Tips for Businesses

According to the Pew Research Center, 79% of U.S. adults report being concerned about the way their data is being used by companies.

“Respecting consumers’ privacy is a smart strategy for inspiring trust and enhancing reputation and growth in your business,” NCA said.

To help promote this position, the National Cybersecurity Alliance and its partners will be diving into the best ways for businesses to build a culture that prioritizes digital privacy throughout the week.

In addition to a host of educational materials, key events scheduled for Data Privacy Week include:

• CyberSecure My Business Webinar: Respecting Privacy and Managing Data. On Tuesday, experts will discuss the importance of responsibly managing the personal information you collect and establishing data privacy and security practices in your organization. Register here.

• The Data Privacy Balancing Act. On Wednesday, the National Cybersecurity Alliance and LinkedIn will convene data privacy experts from industry, government, academia and non-profit for an afternoon of discussions on hot topics in privacy, including online tracking, adding privacy to awareness trainings, data collection for D&I initiatives and more.

• Twitter chat: #DataPrivacyChat. On Thursday, tune into a data privacy discussion on Twitter. Contact jennifer@staysafeonline.org to receive the twitter chat questions in advance.

“As a global leader in cyber safety, NortonLifeLock is proud to be the lead sponsor of this year’s Data Privacy Week,” said Petros Efstathopoulos, global head of Research for NortonLifeLock. “Consumers continue to spend more time online than ever before, and this week exemplifies the increasing interest and need to protect online privacy.

“Understanding privacy in the physical world is second nature — closing doors and keeping personal information out of sight — but protecting digital footprints from companies and websites that track online activity and collect personal data can be less intuitive,” Efstathopoulos continued in the news release. “We are proud to be the digital ally for consumers, empowering them with the knowledge and tools needed to live their digital lives safely.”

This year’s event is sponsored by NortonLifeLock, Terranova Security, OneTrust, Skyflow and FormAssembly.

NCA mentioned that Data Privacy Week is designed to build on the success of Data Privacy Day, which began in the United States and Canada in January 2008 as an extension of Data Protection Day in Europe.

Data Protection Day commemorates the Jan, 28, 1981 signing of Convention 108, the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection.

For more information, visit the event website.