Summary: Data privacy is now a core business priority, driven by new regulations and rising enforcement. Organizations must embrace privacy‑by‑design operational excellence to protect sensitive data, maintain trust, and stay competitive.

In today’s hyper-connected economy, data is often called “the new oil.” Unlike oil, data is deeply personal, increasingly regulated, and carries a high risk of “spillage.” Such spillage can shatter an organization’s reputation in a single afternoon. As we move through 2026, the conversation around data privacy has shifted from a niche legal concern to a core business imperative. For professionals and organizations alike, the question is no longer if privacy matters. Instead, it is how to build systems that respect it by design.

The Rising Stakes: Data Privacy in the 2026 News Cycle

The start of 2026 has marked a turning point in the privacy landscape.

Recent headlines highlight that regulators are moving toward enforcement:

• The Rise of Neural Data: Connecticut has become a pioneer in 2026 by expanding its privacy laws to include “neural data,.” This change reflects the growth of brain-computer interfaces. Moreover, it highlights the need to protect our most intimate biological information.
• Targeting “Dark Patterns”: California and Connecticut regulators have recently stepped up enforcement against websites using deceptive user interfaces (dark patterns). These interfaces make it difficult for users to opt out of data tracking.
• Global Modernization: On 28 January 2026, the Council of Europe and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) will cohost an in person and virtual event to modernize Convention 108+. That document is the global standard for privacy. The event will ensure it can withstand the era of AI and quantum computing.

Data Privacy Day 2026: From Awareness to Action

Every year on 28 January, the international community celebrates Data Privacy Day. Meanwhile, the broader Data Privacy Week takes place from 26–30 January . For 2026, the theme is “Take Control of Your Data.”

While the day often focuses on individual habits like changing passwords or enabling two-factor authentication (2FA), for professionals, it serves as a strategic launchpad. Data Privacy Day is a reminder for organizations and professionals to:

• Audit your current stack: Assess if your data inventory is up to date.
• Foster a Privacy Culture: Move beyond onboarding videos and engage teams in role-specific privacy challenges.
• Bridge the Skills Gap: Use the momentum of the week to advocate for professional certifications and specialized engineering training.

Why Privacy is Your Competitive Advantage

Beyond avoiding regulatory fines, there are significant competitive advantages for companies that prioritize privacy. In 2026, Privacy-as-a-Service (Paas) and transparent data handling will become major market differentiators.

1. Consumer Trust: A 2025 study showed that 70% of consumers will switch brands if they feel their data is being used without clear, usable consent.
2. Operational Resilience: Organizations that operationalize privacy reduce their “attack surface” by practicing data minimization. In other words, if you don’t store it, it can’t be stolen.
3. Future-Proofing for AI: As the EU AI Act enters full implementation, having a robust privacy framework is the only way to safely deploy generative AI tools.

How IEEE Prepares You for This New Reality

Navigating this complex landscape requires more than just reading the law; it requires engineering and operational expertise. This is where IEEE Educational Activities, in collaboration with IEEE Digital Privacy, provides a critical bridge.

Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age is a specialized four-course series. It is designed to move privacy from a legal document to a living part of your organization’s workflow.

What the Program Covers:

• Operationalizing Privacy: Move beyond theory and learn how to implement privacy frameworks in a real-world organizational context.
• Engineering Trust: Discover how to build privacy into the software development lifecycle (SDLC). This is wiser than “bolting it on” at the end.
• Usability for End Users: Address the “Privacy Paradox” by making privacy controls intuitive and accessible.
• Emerging Technical Challenges: Stay ahead of the curve on hurdles like AI governance and biometric security.

Take the Next Step

Whether you are an individual professional looking to future-proof your career or an organizational leader aiming to protect your company’s future, IEEE has the resources to guide you.

• For Individuals:
  Interested in access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN) to explore the Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age program. Participants earn professional development credit and a shareable digital badge. IEEE members save US$100.
• For Organizations:
  Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn how to get access to this program for your organization.

Although 2024 has only just begun, it is already shaping up to be an active year. Across industries, powerful tech trends are emerging that will impact both today and tomorrow. With this in mind, it is crucial to stay informed, be proactive, and invest in your own development. Doing so ensures you bring the most current thinking and best engineering practices to your workplace and career.

To help, here are several top tech trends of 2024, shared by leading experts, along with targeted IEEE course programs to support your continuing education journey. Stay ahead, and let IEEE guide you toward a productive year.

Data Privacy

First, data privacy remains a growing concern. A 2023 Pew Research Center study found that 67% of respondents had little understanding of how companies use their data, while 81% expressed concern. As personal data is increasingly collected, sold, and exposed to breaches, mechanisms to protect privacy are more important than ever.

IEEE Resource: Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age (Four-Course Program)
Brought to you by IEEE Educational Activities in collaboration with IEEE Digital Privacy, this four-course program provides a framework on how to operationalize privacy in an organizational context, how to make it usable for end users, and how to address emerging technical challenges to protecting digital privacy. Learn More>>

Internet of Things (IoT) Security

Next, IoT security is critical. With 15 billion devices connected worldwide—expected to double by 2030—each smart device becomes a data endpoint. As a result, protecting networks and hardware through IoT security techniques has never been more urgent.

IEEE Resource: All About IoT Security (Six-Course Program)
Developed by IEEE Educational Activities with support from IEEE Internet of Things Technical Community, this six-course program is designed to provide learners with a broad overview of IoT security. It starts with challenges such as malware and botnets followed by vulnerabilities, network monitoring, setting up of testbeds, and application of blockchain in IoT security. Learn More>>

Energy Efficiency/Sustainability

Experts agree that the continued development of sustainable electricity sources will not only contribute to energy efficiency goals but ensure greater accessibility to energy worldwide. According to Liz Centoni, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager, Applications at Cisco, “the fast-emerging category of energy networking, which combines the capabilities of software-defined networking and an electric power system made up of direct-current microgrids, will contribute to energy efficiency [and optimize] power usage, distribution, transmission, and storage.”

Microgrids (local, self-sufficient energy systems designed to support a defined community of users), as well as minigrids (smaller-scale microgrids designed to distribute electricity generated by such renewable sources as solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage, hydropower, and diesel generators), will be especially critical for the estimated 750-800 million people worldwide who currently have no access to electricity. Two-thirds of this number live in sub-Saharan Africa.

IEEE Resource: Minigrids in Africa (Four-Course Program)
In this training, learners will explore the context and roles for minigrids in Africa, as well as appropriate technologies, maintenance, sustainability, operational considerations for connecting to national grids, and regulatory and policy considerations. Learn More>>

High-Performance Computing

Though high-performance computing has been used for decades in academic and government settings, the recent proliferation in the quantity of data that’s become available and shared across an increasingly expanding number of hardware and software touchpoints is driving the demand for greater computing power. Thanks to the broad range of mission-critical applications for high-performance computing— including weather forecasting, healthcare/drug development, quantum mechanics, climate research, and more— experts confirm that there will be an ongoing need for data to be processed at incredibly high speeds of quadrillions of calculations per second and even faster.

IEEE Resource: High Performance Computing Technologies, Solutions to Exascale Systems, and Beyond (Five-Course Program)
This course program, developed in partnership with IEEE Future Directions, focuses on high-performance computing, how to address challenges and solutions in the Exascale era, the leading edge of HPC research, and more. Learn More>>

High-Efficiency Wi-Fi

According to telecom expert Shaun Carlson of Arvig, “the sixth generation of Wi-Fi networks— dubbed Wi-Fi 6 and technically known as [IEEE Standard] 802.11ax— promises major improvements in the capacity and capability of wireless networks” relative to the previous generation. Benefits of Wi-Fi 6 include up to 40% faster connectivity/speed for supported devices, increased network capacity through the use of multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) technology, and greater efficiency that conserves battery power. “As more Wi-Fi 6-certified devices hit the market – from routers to laptops and more,” said Carlson, “it’s a good time for businesses to consider how their networks can accommodate Wi-Fi 6.”

IEEE Resource: IEEE 802.11ax: An Overview of High-Efficiency Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6) (Two-Course Program)
In this training, learners will gain an overview of the features and optimizations introduced by IEEE 802.11ax to the Physical (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers, which led to these improvements. Learn More>>

Configuration Management

The growing threat of cyber attacks involving ransomware, malware, computer worms, and other nefarious forms of software continues to rise to the point where an attack now occurs every 39 seconds at a cost of US$6 billion globally (and potentially over US$10 billion by 2025).  Experts report that 95% of cyber security breaches are a result of human error and the action of users who unknowingly view or interact with bad actors/sites and expose their system(s) to malicious code.  As a result, configuration management— an IT process that establishes configuration standards for each asset in a company’s network, automatically alerting business leaders of any issues that require updates, reconfiguration, or patches and promoting consistency across the network— is becoming an increasingly standard approach that companies are employing to reduce their vulnerability to cyber threats.

IEEE Resource: Software & Hardware Configuration Management in Systems Engineering (Five-Course Program)
Developed with the IEEE Computer Society, this course program teaches essential configuration management (CM) core concepts for both hardware and software starting with requirements specified in IEEE Standard 828. Learn More>>

Time-Sensitive Networking

Housed within the family of IEEE 802 Standards, time-sensitive networking enables data traffic of time-critical applications to be carried over a network shared by various kinds of applications. It is increasingly delivering the benefits of speed, accuracy, and reliability to a broad range of industries, from industrial automation and manufacturing to automotive and aerospace, telecommunications, entertainment, and more.

IEEE Resource: New Course on Time-Sensitive Networking!
Virtual Local Area Network Bridging with TSN Enhancements introduces the components of network architecture that play a vital role in time-sensitive networking (TSN), and which provide the tools needed by network architects to properly architect networks to support the delivery of data for time-sensitive applications. Learn More>>

 

Resources

Law, Marcus.  (20 December 2023).  Top 10: Technology Trends for 2024. Technology.

(8 January 2024). 20 Tech Experts on The Tools And Trends That Will Dominate 2024. Forbes.

Cozzi, Laura, Wetzel, Daniel, Tonolo, Gianluca, and Hyppolite II, Jacob. (3 November 2022). For the First Time in Decades, the Number of People Without Access to Electricity is Set to Increase in 2022. International Energy Agency.

Mcclain, Colleen, Faverio, Michelle, Anderson, Monica, and Park, Eugenie. (18 October 2023). How Americans View Data Privacy. Pew Research Center.

Vailshery, Lionel Sujay. (27 July 2023). Number of Internet of Things (IoT) Connected Devices Worldwide from 2019 To 2023, With Forecasts from 2022 to 2030. Statista.

Becher, Brooke. (5 October 2023). IoT Security: What It Is and Why It’s Important. Built In.

Carlson, Shaun/Arvig.  (26 April 2022). Wi-Fi 6 is Here: The 3 Biggest Advantages of Upgrading Your Business Network. Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

Boskamp, Elie. (15 June 2023). 30 Crucial Cybersecurity Statistics [2023]: Data, Trends and More. Zippia.

(1 August 2022). What Is Configuration Management and Why Is It Important? UpGuard.

In the rapidly evolving digital era, internet users have become increasingly aware of how their information is collected and used online. According to Norton LifeLock, 85% of adults want to do more to protect their online privacy. As consumers express concern and global regulations tighten, it is important to understand the premise of digital privacy and how to comply with it. 

Data Privacy or Digital Privacy?

Despite similar names and concepts, there is a stark distinction between data privacy and digital privacy. Data privacy refers to when a company or website properly handles sensitive user information such as personal contacts, medical records, financial history, and intellectual property. Data privacy works to prevent unauthorized access to confidential information by governing how data is collected, used, and shared. This concept pertains to both the digital and non-digital realms.

On the other hand, digital privacy focuses specifically on protecting our own information that we knowingly or unknowingly share online. An astonishing 90% of the world’s data was generated in the last two years alone! Most of that information was created or provided by individuals while using the internet. Safeguarding this user data mitigates the risk of web-based attacks, further promoting a more secure and trustworthy cyberspace. Without maintaining digital privacy, bad actors could easily monitor online activities, such as conversations and transactions, leading to harmful interceptions and breaches.

The concepts of data privacy and digital privacy both exist to protect individuals and their private information. It is crucial for internet-based systems to satisfy the level of security required by each of these measures.

Engineering Digital Privacy for All

The responsibility of creating a technical framework that fosters digital privacy falls heavily on engineers. Concurrently, existing and emerging laws have brought big changes to the technical engineering landscape. Soon enough, digital privacy regulations will cover 75% of the world’s population.

By not paying close attention to these laws, companies could be risking data breaches, harsh financial penalties from violations, and jeopardizing their reputation within the industry.

Adapting to changing data regulations has resulted in the creation of the Privacy by Design concept, which incorporates the idea of including privacy in every aspect of the engineering and product development cycle. The emerging role of privacy engineer implements this concept, ensuring that data privacy considerations are integrated into the product design.

Gather the Tools to Operationalize Internet Privacy

Is your team up-to-date on the latest privacy technologies and ethics?

Get ahead with Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age, brought to you by IEEE Educational Activities in collaboration with IEEE Digital Privacy. This four-course program provides a framework on how to operationalize privacy in an organizational context, how to make it usable for end users, and how to address emerging technical challenges to protecting digital privacy.

Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn how to get access to this program for your organization.

Interested in access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN).

Resources

(2022). 2022 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report: Special Release— Online Creeping. Norton LifeLock.

(3 March 2021). What is Digital Privacy? Definition and Best Practices. Microanalytics.

What is Data Privacy? SNIA.

Privacy By Design. Deloitte.

The Growing Role of Data Privacy Engineering on Technology. IEEE.

Did you know that your own car might be “spying” on you?

According to a recently released report by The Mozilla Foundation, a non-profit organization that advocates for secure online experiences, the apps, sensors, cameras, and other high-tech bells and whistles built into many new cars today collect and share personal data such as where we go, how fast we drive, what radio stations we listen to, the status of our health, and even our genetic makeup.

This enlightening revelation – the result of The Mozilla Foundation’s survey of 25 car manufacturers – underscores the downside of a modern-day society that’s fueled by data but can fall short on data privacy standards and enforcement.

A Very Real Concern for Individuals and Companies Alike

Privacy concerns are by no means a new trend, but they’re growing. The threat that today’s highly-connected infrastructure poses to personal digital privacy is very significant to citizens and businesses around the globe.

According to Surfshark’s User Attitudes Towards Privacy Survey 2022, 90% of the internet users worldwide who were surveyed agreed that online privacy is important to them – in fact, nearly half of the adults across twelve countries who participated in Cisco’s 2021 Consumer Privacy Survey claimed to have terminated relationships with companies over their inadequate digital data privacy policies. 

Similar concerns over the state of data privacy were confirmed by McKinsey Digital in their recently-published McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2023. According to the report, the trend of “trust architectures and digital identity” (which focuses on building and maintaining the trust and integrity of those who use an organization’s data and digital-enabled products and services) grew the most out of the fourteen trends they tracked over the past year as the issues of security, privacy, and resilience have taken center stage.

The Need to Close the Skills Gap

New regulations and parameters on data sharing worldwide are requiring greater levels of privacy engineering in the product design process. Examples include Europe’s 2022 “NIS2 Directive” and “2023 Data Governance Act” and recently-strengthened data privacy laws enacted in states throughout the U.S. At the same time, shifting societal attitudes have led consumers and business customers alike to increasingly expect products and services to incorporate appropriate levels of security, technology resilience, and other digital-trust properties as part of their value proposition.

As a result of these developments, global equity investment in the field of trust architectures and digital identity grew to US$47 billion in 2022 – nearly five times its level in 2018. Furthermore, subsequent demand for skilled talent within the field has risen steadily, with job postings growing by over 16% between 2021 and 2022.

While the demand for stronger data privacy features and expertise is on the rise, a deficit of talent in this specialty persists in 2023. This talent gap is especially prevalent in the areas of risk analysis, regulatory compliance, computer security, cryptography, and identity management, where the McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2023 revealed that there are only one to four qualified applicants per ten job postings.

Products and services that don’t adequately protect customer data privacy can lead to catastrophic fallouts such as data breaches that can significantly impact an organization’s financials as well as its brand and reputation. The organization could also incur harsh financial penalties for violating data privacy regulations. Given these concerns, product development teams are increasingly acknowledging the need to address security and technology risks earlier in the development and delivery life cycle.

Make Data Privacy Your Business

As privacy grows in importance, the need for technical professionals to possess strong knowledge in the area also grows.

Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age, brought to you by IEEE Educational Activities in collaboration with IEEE Digital Privacy, is a four-course program that provides a framework on how to operationalize privacy in an organizational context, how to make it usable for end users, and how to address emerging technical challenges to protecting digital privacy. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn how to get access to this program for your organization.  Interested in access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN).

Ethical transparency is critical to an organization’s success and it must be included in digital environments. Successful digital environments require rigorous ethical standards that incorporate honesty, impartiality, protection, security, and privacy.

AI Standards: Roadmap for Ethical and Responsible Digital Environments provides instructions for a comprehensive approach to creating ethical and responsible digital ecosystems. Contact an IEEE Content Specialist to learn more about how this program can benefit your organization. Interested in getting access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN) today!

 

Resources:

Caltrider, Jen, Rykov, Misha, and MacDonald, Zoë.  (6 September 2023).  “It’s Official: Cars Are the Worst Product Category We Have Ever Reviewed for Privacy.” The Mozilla Foundation.

Howarth, Josh.  (21 February 2023).  “23+ Alarming Data Privacy Statistics For 2023.”  Exploding Topics.

Chui, Michael, Issler, Mena, Roberts, Roger, and Yee, Lareina.  (20 July 2023).  “McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2023.”   McKinsey Digital.

 

Experts, commentators, and pundits alike have been saying it for years: Data is the new oil. The phrase is widely credited to mathematician Clive Humby, who also said, “Like oil, data is valuable, but if unrefined, it cannot really be used. It has to be changed into gas, plastic, and chemicals to create a valuable entity that drives profitable activity. Data must be broken down and analyzed for it to have value.”

Artificial intelligence and automation technology offer new ways to target potential customers, personalize messaging, and recommend products, thereby making data an essential resource for modern enterprises and business decision-making. Companies around the globe collect and analyze volumes of data daily. This highly valued commodity needs to be protected, but so do the individuals who provide it. 

For modern companies, navigating data privacy can seem overwhelming. Different regions may be subject to varying legislation levels. Additionally, citizens of a particular region may still be protected by those laws no matter where they’re presently located. As data privacy regulations grow, companies face constantly changing data management requirements to secure the correct opt-in permission and ensure compliance. Recent data breaches and hacks of Uber, Verizon, Meta, and Microsoft demonstrate how sophisticated hackers have become.

Flawed Practices Lead to Consumer Mistrust

Inferior consumer privacy practices expose businesses to real repercussions, such as an increase in consumer data breaches. In 2021, there were more than 130,000 personal data breaches. These instances led to material losses like fines, but more importantly, loss of trust for current and prospective customers. According to a recent report, 87% of consumers “would not do business with a company if they had concerns about its security practices.” Investments in data protection and privacy fosters consumer loyalty and trust in a company’s products. 

Data Security is Paramount

Without a solid data security platform, your company risks financial penalties for violating data privacy regulations and jeopardizing your company’s reputation. A recent article in Apple Magazine provides six tips for better data security in the workplace:

• Make sure all employees have strong passwords
• Have disaster recovery plans in place
• Create strong firewall and antivirus software policies
• Monitor and analyze your users’ online habits
• Encrypt your data whenever possible
• Invest in employee training programs

Technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things, virtual reality, and facial and biometric recognition all use or generate personal data. Protecting that data should be a top priority—and training your organization in data privacy can provide a critical competitive advantage. Does your company place a priority on data privacy skills?

Privacy by Design is the Future

Companies should consider both data privacy and security issues daily. According to Lindy Cameron, CEO of the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a secure-by-design approach is vital to protecting the growing Internet of Things (IoT) and consumer-connected devices. She goes on to explain how the last decade has seen an increase in significant security risks as “the scale of consumer-, enterprise-, and city-level IoT has exploded in the last decade,” along with a growing dependency on connected technology.

Data privacy is not the domain of just IT departments anymore. Protecting personal data should start in product development—ensuring that every product team member understands privacy by design. For effective results, privacy should be layered throughout the product development lifecycle.

Enhance Your Data Privacy Skills

Engineering and technology professionals must increasingly consider data privacy and security when designing products and systems. As the world becomes more automated, it’s crucial for your organization to understand how to protect its data and devices.

Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment, an online 11-course program from IEEE, helps businesses improve their security techniques. Contact an IEEE Account Specialist today to get access to the course program for your organization. Interested in learning about getting access to the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network to learn more.

Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age, brought to you by IEEE Educational Activities in collaboration with IEEE Digital Privacy, is a four-course program that provides a framework on how to operationalize privacy in an organizational context, how to make it usable for end users, and how to address emerging technical challenges to protecting digital privacy. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn how to get access to this program for your organization. Interested in access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN).

Resources

Drapkin, Aaron. (18 October 2022). Data Breaches That Have Happened in 2022 So Far. Tech.co.

Hill, Michael. (24 October 2022). Security by design vital to protecting IoT, smart cities around the world. CSO.

Huang, Helen. (18 October 2022). Putting privacy first: A global approach to data governance. Treasure Data.

Newsroom AppleMagazine.com. (24 October 2022). 6 Tips for better data security in the workplace. AppleMagazine.com.

Talagala, Nisha. (2 March 2022). Data as The New Oil Is Not Enough: Four Principles for Avoiding Data Fires. Forbes. 

Robicquet, Alexandre. (19 October 2022). Why Businesses Don’t Need More Data—They Need Better Data. Forbes. 

In today’s hyper-connected world, phrase “data is king” rings truer than ever. Data now drives our economy. Companies and organizations across industries actively leverage it to gain a competitive edge.

People share information constantly — face-to-face, over the phone, through online forms, and via email or text. Even more varied are the types of data we disclose: addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, financial data, and health records. Beyond that, our digital footprints include what we buy, what we post, how we unlock our phones, and even how we move through public and private spaces.

Whether we share this information voluntarily or not, countless entities collect it. They use it for purposes we often don’t fully understand.

For Instance, Did You Know…

• Your DNA holds value. When people submit saliva samples to genealogy or genetic testing services, those companies may resell the data to pharmaceutical firms for research or marketing. Kirsten Ostherr, PhD, director of medical humanities at Rice University, warns that this data could also influence life insurance rates, loan interest rates, or hiring decisions. In some cases, law enforcement may access DNA data without consent during criminal investigations.
• Apps track browsing and purchase histories to deliver personalized ads. While some ads, like those for similar clothing items, may feel helpful, others can cross ethical lines. For instance, targeting individuals based on medical conditions can feel invasive or even predatory.
• Social media platforms routinely analyze shared content — photos, videos, and posts — using AI. These algorithms help companies identify patterns and pursue business goals. However, many users don’t realize that “private messages” may not be truly private.

Transparency Is Key

Ultimately, information is power. In all of the above cases, “the user received something in return for allowing a corporation to monetize their [personal] data,” confirmed Louise Matsakis of technology publication Wired.

However, this often-unwitting exchange isn’t something all users take lightly. A recent Pew Research Center study revealed that four out of five people surveyed feel that they have little control over the data that companies or government agencies collect on them and are either “very” or “somewhat” concerned about how companies are using it.

In light of growing ethical concerns and the alarming incidence of personal data breaches and other cyber crime that’s forecasted to incur more than US$10 trillion in damages worldwide by 2025, according to Cybersecurity Ventures, most countries have enacted some level of data privacy legislation that sets parameters around how data is collected, used, and shared. However, these laws aren’t standard across different countries – or even centralized at the federal level, as is the case across the U.S. This gap leaves countries/states to largely enact their own data privacy laws and penalties for non-compliance. For organizations serving a global population, this can be especially difficult to navigate.

Privacy By Design

Given that data privacy definitions aren’t yet standardized, experts say that organizations must take measures to ensure that data privacy and transparency are addressed up-front in order to be more efficient. In other words, personal data will be better insulated and companies will be increasingly protected from the legal and financial repercussions of data privacy non-compliance when they make concerted efforts to build the key pillars of data privacy into their product development process at the outset.

The European Union formally subscribed to this theory by adopting the concept of ‘Privacy by Design,’ a process by which technology is used to engineer data privacy into the development of products at their earliest stages. It’s an approach that savvy companies are watching closely in the best interests of both their customers’ privacy and security as well as their organization’s integrity/brand.

Position Your Organization for Success

The protection of privacy and personal data is an essential human right – one that requires organizations to take action to ensure data privacy for their users. Ideally, data privacy should begin in the product development stage. It’s a best practice undertaken to ensure that every member of the product team understands privacy by design and how to put those guidelines into practice.

Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age, brought to you by IEEE Educational Activities in collaboration with IEEE Digital Privacy, is a four-course program that provides a framework on how to operationalize privacy in an organizational context, how to make it usable for end users, and how to address emerging technical challenges to protecting digital privacy. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn how to get access to this program for your organization. Interested in access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN).

Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment, an online 11-course program from IEEE, helps businesses improve their security techniques. Contact an IEEE Account Specialist today to get access to the course program for your organization. Interested in learning about getting access to the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network to learn more.

Resources

Matsakis, Louise. (15 February 2019). “The WIRED Guide to Your Personal Data (and Who Is Using It).” Wired.

“Americans And Privacy: Concerned, Confused And Feeling Lack Of Control Over Their Personal Information.” (19 November 2019). Pew Research Center.

Morgan, Steve. (13 November 2020). “Cybercrime To Cost the World $10.5 Trillion Annually By 2025.” Cybercrime Magazine.

14 December 2022. “Data Privacy Laws: What You Need to Know in 2023.” Osano.

Nudson, Rae. (9 April 2020). “When Targeted Ads Feel a Little Too Targeted.” Vox.

As more governments propose data privacy laws, organizations need to renew their focus on data privacy and protecting their customers’ information. While preparing for the growing number of data privacy laws can be a complex process, organizations that stay updated with new laws will have a much easier time in today’s current environment. However, even as companies improve their systems and policies, customer information could still be at risk. According to the nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center, nearly 300 million people were affected by 1,862 corporate data breaches last year in the U.S. alone. Past studies from the University of Maryland show that hackers launch attacks roughly every 39 seconds. Recent research shows that 95% of all security breaches were caused by human error. Knowing how to deter online threats before they gain access to your customer database or other critical information could save you and your company a lot of headaches and bad publicity.

Essential Cyber Security Tips

The first step of any cyber security outreach is awareness. At the average company, most employees are not security professionals. Therefore, you need to make sure they are aware of their security responsibilities. Employees will be more inclined to adhere to security procedures if they know the benefits of doing so (and the consequences of failing to meet security measures).

According to Forbes, here are five steps you can take to protect your company and your data from exposure:

1. Update your software and apps regularly
2. Start using multi-factor authentication
3. Implement device use policies
4. Limit network and data access
5. Train your employees

Investing in employee awareness ensures business continuity and protects confidential or sensitive information from hackers. However, it is important to note that because cyber threats constantly evolve, employees need continuous refreshers on protecting company data. Companies should conduct regular training sessions to help employees stay on top of the latest security trends and allow healthy discussion of any issue, potentially in a more open forum so that other employees can weigh in on the issue’s importance.

What are some of the ways that your organization is protecting digital privacy for its customers?

Cyber Security and Data Privacy Training for Your Organization

Privacy has emerged to be a critical aspect of our increasingly digitized world. Technological innovations are progressively becoming more intrusive into our personal lives attempting to extract sensitive personal information. This is often detrimental to an individual when any breach or spillage of data leads to a severe impact such as financial loss or identity theft.

Cyber Security Tools for Today’s Environment, an online 11-course program from IEEE, helps businesses improve their security techniques. Contact an IEEE Account Specialist today to get access to the course program for your organization. Interested in learning about getting access to the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network to learn more.

Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age, brought to you by IEEE Educational Activities in collaboration with IEEE Digital Privacy, is a four-course program that provides a framework on how to operationalize privacy in an organizational context, how to make it usable for end users, and how to address emerging technical challenges to protecting digital privacy. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn how to get access to this program for your organization. Interested in access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN).

 

Resources

Daniels, Jodi. (8 November 2022). Five Tips for Cybersecurity and Data Protection In Small Businesses. Forbes. 

Huddleston, Tom. (20 October 2022). These cybersecurity tips from a former hacker can make you 98% less vulnerable: ‘You’re raising the bar’. CNBC. 

Paul, Shibu. (10 November 2022). Key cybersecurity tips for staff and employers to safe when working remote. Time of India.

When many people hear the phrase “blockchain technology”, they immediately think of cryptocurrencies. However, blockchain is much more than cryptocurrencies. At its core, blockchain technology is a chain of records that store data and information. It is a tamper-proof and decentralized digital ledger, which provides full control to the user and eliminates governmental or third-party dominance. 

The global expenditure on blockchain solutions is anticipated to reach US$11.7 billion this year, and the number of individuals working in the blockchain sector has increased 76% as of June 2022. By 2024, it is anticipated that the worldwide blockchain technology market would generate US$20 billion in revenue. When blockchain technology is implemented correctly, it can solve problems in several sectors—with applications in the automotive, financial services, voting, and healthcare industries.

The Promise of Blockchain for Healthcare

Healthcare professionals and institutions are already capitalizing on blockchain technology by using early solutions to reduce costs, increasing the availability of authentic information, streamlining medical records, and providing secure and fast access to data. 

There are numerous applications of using blockchain in healthcare:

• Storage and Data Accessibility – Medical professionals can collaborate effectively, improving the opportunities and experiences for patients by using blockchain technology to access, store, and share data securely.
• Analysis and Data Collection – Using a data-driven, scalable, and patient-centric blockchain-based system will prove helpful in collecting sensitive data to train machine learning software. 
• Health Supply Chain Management – The blockchain provides practical solutions to streamline supply chain operations through less expensive, reliable, authentic, and easier methods.
• Drug Tracking – Blockchain technology provides a reliable way to ensure drug validity by providing the ability to trace every medicine back to its source.
• Remote Monitoring – Once uploaded to the blockchain, electronic medical records can be viewed and shared instantly and securely throughout the world. 

Protecting Sensitive Data

Hospital cyber security breaches hit an all-time high in 2021, with 45 million individuals affected by healthcare cyber attacks. The implications of these attacks can have a variety of consequences, ranging from the shutdown of hospital operations, diversion of non-emergency patients, a loss of confidentiality, exposure of patient data and information, and infrastructure damage.

Kali Durgampudi, the chief technology officer of healthcare payments company Zelis, believes that blockchain implementation is vital for protecting patients’ sensitive data from cyber criminals. He says that  because hackers cannot modify or copy the data, “blockchain technology vastly reduces security risks, giving hospital and healthcare IT organizations a much stronger line of defense against cyber criminals.”

Blockchain technology has the potential to alleviate many of these concerns. Any time the information is changed or shared, a new block is created to document the transaction. Strung together, these blocks create an impenetrable chain. Since the information cannot be modified or copied, blockchain technology vastly reduces security risks.

Challenges for Blockchain in Healthcare

Like most advances, there are limits to the promise of blockchain technology. Currently, blockchain’s scalability is low, with transaction speeds not up to the standard of being reliable for massive amounts of immediate transactions. Blockchain ecosystems can also require high energy consumption, making it expensive to manage over large amounts of data and networks. Finally, it is important to note that healthcare often lags behind other industries in adopting new and cutting-edge technologies. Regulations and infrastructure issues tend to prevent fast-paced growth in medical devices, newer drug development platforms, and adopting scalable technologies.

Blockchain Solutions for the Future

Get practical guidance for how to design a blockchain solution with the IEEE five-course program, A Step-by-Step Approach to Designing Blockchain Solutions. Developed by experts, this course program recaps the basics of the technology, the expected benefits of a blockchain solution, how a solution would benefit a prospect company, and more.

Contact an IEEE Account Specialist to learn more about how this program can benefit your organization.

Interested in getting access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN) today!

Resources

Durgampudi, Kali. (18 July 2022). The Potential of Blockchain Technology To Address Healthcare’s Biggest Challenges. Forbes.

Encila, Jet. (15 August 2022). Blockchain Industry Workforce Grows 80% This Year, Study Shows. Bitcoinist.

Garg, Amit & Shuang, Sharon. (16 August 2022). Blockchain & Healthcare- Where Are We? DateDrivenInvestor.

Hoffmann, Sofia. (9 August 2022). What Benefits Blockchain can Bring to Healthcare. HealthTECH Zone.

Linken, Scott. (12 August 2022). Making sense of bitcoin, cryptocurrency and blockchain. PWC.

Quarmby, Brian. (22 July 2022). Blockchain’s use in healthcare ‘essential’ to protect sensitive data: Zelis CTO. Cointelegraph. 

Siwicki, Bill. (20 July 2022). Debunking some of healthcare’s biggest blockchain myths. HealthcareITNews. 

Utah and Connecticut recently joined a growing number of U.S. states – including California, Colorado, and Virginia — passing data privacy laws. These regulations give citizens greater control over their data and empower them to hold organizations that violate the rules accountable. A number of federal governments, including the European Union, China, Brazil, have also passed similar laws.

While the U.S. does not currently have a federal data privacy law, federal regulators are still taking action. The U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission recently settled a suit against Twitter over allegations that it misled people over how their phone numbers and email addresses would be used, slapping the social media company with a $150 million USD fine.

Meanwhile, a recent ruling in a $650 million USD class action lawsuit against Facebook found it violated the Illinois’ 2008 biometric privacy law over its handling of facial recognition data. As a result, the social media giant must pay over 1.4 million residents up to $397 USD.

These legal actions are only the beginning. According to CPO Magazine, legislators in at least 27 states in the U.S. have introduced data privacy bills in the last several months.

“By 2024, it’s likely that almost every state will have its own version passed into law,” writes Bill Tolson, Vice President of Global Compliance & eDiscovery at Archive360, in CPO Magazine. “This is getting little to no attention in the business world, and yet it requires serious effort to ensure compliance. Businesses getting prepared now are barely ahead of the curve; those that put it off till the laws hit the market will have to scramble to keep up.”

Data Privacy Professionals Are In High Demand

Data privacy professionals are quickly becoming some of the most in-demand technical professionals in the world today. A recent report from the recruitment company TRU Staffing Partners found a 30% increase in open data privacy jobs, due to a combination of the rise in remote work and the recent proliferation of data privacy laws. In addition to there not being enough data privacy professionals, the report also found a shortage of professionals with the right qualifications. According to CPO Magazine, some key findings from the report include:

• Qualified data privacy professionals have a competitive advantage in the current job market. Whereas it generally took up to six weeks for someone with the right qualifications to get hired after submitting their resume in 2019, it took roughly one week on average in 2021.
• Data privacy professionals typically have a minimum of two job offers at a time. When they are actively looking for a job, this increases to three.
• Privacy professionals have seen a 22% growth in pay (earning about $20,000 – $30,000 USD more in general annually for the same positions). Similar increases are anticipated by 2023.
• About 75% of these positions are in corporations, 20% are in consulting and software companies, and 5% are in the legal industry.

As more governments pass regulations and organizations seek to fill their knowledge gap, now is the perfect time for technical professionals to learn the ins-and-outs of data privacy.

Growing Your Data Privacy Skills

As privacy grows in importance, the need for technical professionals to possess strong knowledge in the area also grows.

Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age, brought to you by IEEE Educational Activities in collaboration with IEEE Digital Privacy, is a four-course program that provides a framework on how to operationalize privacy in an organizational context, how to make it usable for end users, and how to address emerging technical challenges to protecting digital privacy. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn how to get access to this program for your organization. Interested in access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN).

Ethical transparency is critical to an organization’s success and it must be included in digital environments. Successful digital environments require rigorous ethical standards that incorporate honesty, impartiality, protection, security, and privacy.

AI Standards: Roadmap for Ethical and Responsible Digital Environments provides instructions for a comprehensive approach to creating ethical and responsible digital ecosystems. Contact an IEEE Content Specialist to learn more about how this program can benefit your organization. Interested in getting access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN) today!

Resources

Bensinger, Greg. (30 May 2022). How Illinois Is Winning in the Fight Against Big Tech. New York Times. 

Casale, Elizabeth; Collum, Christopher; Shreve, James; Sosnicki, Luke. (27 May 2022). Utah and Connecticut enact comprehensive data privacy laws. thompsoncoburn.com. 

Gordon, Marcy. (25 May 2022). Twitter to pay $150M penalty over privacy of users’ data. ABC News.

Sauer, Megan. (25 May 2022). Some Facebook users are receiving $397 checks over data privacy violations—and these tech companies could be next. CNBC. 

Tolson, Bill. (20 May 2022). Data Privacy Conundrum: When Different States Play by Different Rules. CPO Magazine. 

Ikeda, Scott. (9 May 2022). Data Privacy Jobs Report Shows Demand for Privacy Pros at Record High Thanks to Complex Regulatory Requirements, Mass Migration to Cloud Services. CPO Magazine. 

A number of new laws – recently passed in Europe, China, the U.S., and Brazil – are presenting an urgent need for organizations to develop data privacy policies. Not only are these laws creating compliance concerns, they are also compelling organizations to start embracing data privacy as a core value.

How Can Organizations Establish Data Privacy Policies As A Core Value?

According to Kevin Shepherdson, CEO and Founder of Straits Interactive, a leading data privacy consultancy in Singapore, transformation around data privacy needs to start with an organization’s leadership. Senior leaders need to clarify that their organizations take data privacy seriously. They should provide the necessary resources to institute a data protection management program (DPMP). This also should include training their staff around such programs.

“We often see data breaches being described as ‘human error’, which is unacceptable to regulators and should not happen where there is sufficient staff training and strong ‘tone at the top,’” Shepherdson writes in CPO Magazine. “As important as initiating the DPMP is sustaining it. The organization must maintain compliance efforts by educating stakeholders about its data protection policies. This includes conducting regular data privacy audits and regular risk assessments.”

How Can Organizations Successfully Implement a Data Privacy Program?

Stu Sjouwerman, founder and CEO of KnowBe4, which develops security awareness training and simulated phishing platforms, offers the following four recommendations for organizations that want to implement a successful data privacy program, which he originally outlined in Security Magazine:

1. Be inclusive of every department in your organization: Data security impacts every facet of your organization. Each department likely processes data in its own way, so it’s important to include each department, process, and vendor in your data privacy plans.
2. Track your practices using documentation: Documenting your data privacy practices as you go along will give you valuable perspective into how your practices deliver value and risk. “Map out your entire data lifecycle (using data flow diagrams) and the process each department uses to collect, store, access, use and share consumer data,” writes Sjouwerman. “Outline the organization’s legal and contractual obligations and the process with which end users can manage their privacy rights.”.
3. Go Beyond Compliance: Organizations have a tendency to see legal and compliance obligations as “a checklist of items that need to be crossed.” According to Sjouwerman, this is a common mistake. Instead, he suggests looking at privacy as your users’ fundamental right. Your organization’s compliance practices must work to uphold this right.
4. Continuously re-assess your data privacy practices: No organization stays the same. Departments, processes, vendors, products, and people change over time. As such, it’s important to regularly assess your data privacy practices to ensure they are evolving with your organization. According to Sjouwerman, this involves undergoing a Data Protection Impact Assessment. He says this will help “identify risks proactively and reduce the likelihood of any impact to the organization or its customers.”

With data privacy laws becoming more common, privacy policies are no longer a consideration – they are a necessity. Is your organization equipped with the knowledge to implement a successful data privacy program?

Data Privacy by Design

Privacy has emerged to be a critical aspect of our increasingly digitized world. Technological innovations are progressively becoming more intrusive into our personal lives attempting to extract sensitive personal information. This is often detrimental to an individual when any breach or spillage of data leads to a severe impact such as financial loss or identity theft.

Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age, brought to you by IEEE Educational Activities in collaboration with IEEE Digital Privacy, is a four-course program. It provides a framework on how to operationalize privacy in an organizational context. It also covers how to make it usable for end users, and how to address emerging technical challenges to protecting digital privacy. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn how to get access to this program for your organization. Interested in access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN).

Resources

Sjouwerman, Stu. (22 March 2022). Data privacy in 2022: Four recommendations for businesses and consumers. Security Magazine.

Shepherdson, Kevin. (18 March 2022). Data Privacy in 2022: Navigating the Ever-shifting Terrain. CPO Magazine.