UC Davis has enlisted as a Data Privacy Day Champion in support of the day’s three-pronged entreaty: Respect privacy, safeguard data and enable trust.

Our “champion” designation comes from the National Cyber Security Alliance, lead organizer of the international Data Privacy Day, which is coming up Tuesday (Jan. 28). Held on the same date every year, Data Privacy Day commemorates the signing of Convention 108, the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection, on Jan. 28, 1981.

“Mark the day by learning more about data privacy, how to be good stewards of the personal data entrusted to this institution, and how to protect your own data privacy,” suggested Minming Wu Morri, campus privacy officer and associate campus counsel. She recommended any of three free livestream programs to be held Jan. 28 (see the schedule below), including one that will deal specifically with higher education.

Meanwhile, the Campus Privacy Office will hold a Data Privacy Day fireside roundtable discussion with other campus personnel who specialize in data protection, data transfer agreements and negotiating data use.

Campus privacy efforts, Wu Morri said, extend to research and institutional data, as well as data held by the university that pertains to individual students, employees and patients. “Protecting their privacy helps us mitigate the risks of costly incidents, reputational harm, regulatory penalties and other harms,” she said. “Protecting privacy is also important to people’s trust in an organization.”

Wu Morri said Data Privacy Day provides the opportunity to remind students and employees that privacy is proscribed as a right in the California Constitution, and that UC adheres to a Statement of Privacy Values. “These are tools we have to protect our freedom and information,” she said.

Data Privacy Day webinars

• “Privacy 2020: Where Have We Been and What’s Next?” — Presented by Educause, a higher education technology association. Amelia Vance, director of education privacy at the nonprofit privacy rights clearinghouse, the Future of Privacy Forum, will reflect on privacy lessons learned and best practices inside and outside education; discuss how changes in technology and privacy law could impact higher education; and suggest ways that institutions can prepare for those challenges and lead on privacy. 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28. Register here.
• “Data Privacy Day 2020: A Vision for the Future” — Presented by the National Cyber Security Alliance and originating from LinkedIn’s headquarters in San Francisco, this forum will feature privacy specialists from the public and private sectors. Julie Brill, chief privacy officer at Microsoft, will address “A World Without Privacy,” about how we sometimes forget what privacy means to us, and what we need to do as a society to protect ourselves in this increasingly data-driven digital world. 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28. Watch the livestream here.
• Q&A Data Privacy Day Roundtable — Hosted by Privacy Ref, an official training partner of the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Trainers will welcome inquiries on such topics as protecting customer and employee data, and general privacy best practices. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28. Register here.

For more information, contact the Campus Privacy Office by email.

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