Data Privacy Day: What businesses need to know

On Data Privacy Day (28 January), four industry experts told Digital Journal that businesses should pay attention to data flow visibility, strong data governance for AI, privacy-respecting workforce monitoring, and routine security practices such as timely patching and automation.

Data Privacy Day is observed each year on 28 January to raise awareness of privacy and data protection. The article gathers perspectives from four industry experts for businesses. It covers common consumer-focused tips and broader organisational themes raised by the experts. The contributors emphasise visibility, governance, respectful employee monitoring, and routine maintenance as core concerns. Key points: - Date and purpose: Data Privacy Day on 28 January promotes awareness of privacy and data protection and includes basic best practices such as reviewing settings, using strong passwords, and avoiding unsecured Wi‑Fi. - Data movement and observability: Jimmy Mesta (RAD Security) said static data maps are not enough and urged real-time visibility into how sensitive data moves across cloud services, containers and APIs. - Data governance for AI: Anthony Woodward (RecordPoint) said governing data is fundamental to both privacy protection and responsible AI, and that governance turns principles into accountable practice. - Employee privacy and security: Isaac Kohen (Teramind) argued that privacy-first, transparent workforce intelligence—using trigger-based telemetry—can detect insider risks faster than opaque surveillance. - Operational hygiene: Jaren Nichols (PDQ) highlighted that routine measures such as timely patch management and automation act as frontline privacy and security controls and help reduce exposure caused by scale and complexity. Summary: Taken together, the experts framed data privacy as a mix of technical and organisational work where visibility, governance, respectful monitoring, and consistent maintenance affect exposure and trust. They noted a shift from static controls toward real-time observability and contextual telemetry, and said many organisations still face gaps in these capabilities. Progress, according to the experts, will depend on wider adoption of the practices they described.