It's Data Privacy Day: Today's Kickoff Celebration to Focus on Privacy Challenges and Opportunities Facing Businesses and Consumers

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) is officially kicking off Data Privacy Day 2014, along with federal and private sector leaders. The theme for Data Privacy Day is Respecting Privacy, Safeguarding Data and Enabling Trust and will be echoed during numerous local and online events taking place globally and around the country.

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NCSA is teaming up with Facebook to broadcast the Data Privacy Day Kick Off event live online for the world to watch. The live stream will be made available via NCSA's Data Privacy Day Facebook page this morning starting at 11:20 a.m. ET. "We're delighted to convene today's privacy thought leaders and thank Facebook for making it available to viewers worldwide," said Michael Kaiser, executive director of NCSA. "We want all stakeholders across the globe to engage in this important discussion about privacy and data protection." Discussions will explore privacy challenges and opportunities facing consumers and businesses. Viewers can watch the full event at https://www.facebook.com/DataPrivacyNCSA.

Federal Trade Commission Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, Jessica Rich and the chief privacy officers of Intel, Microsoft and Facebook will headline an impressive speaker lineup during the kickoff event at The Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, DC.

"Data protection is more important than ever, particularly as data-intensive online activities become the norm," said Brendon Lynch, chief privacy officer at Microsoft Corporation. "It's critical that we prioritize consumer privacy and incorporate strong data protections into our products and services, while working collaboratively with all stakeholders to advance privacy in ways that embrace the evolving needs of our digital society."

Speakers will explore topics like Respecting Consumer Privacy in a Big Data World. "Society stands to reap great benefits if we can get data privacy right—like productivity gains in sectors such as finance, healthcare, commerce, and government—but to achieve this we need not just technology, but also a broader understanding of what privacy means in a data-driven world," said Stephen Cobb, senior security researcher ESET. Experts will also discuss privacy challenges related to Notice and Consent and cover the latest privacy research from the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project.

Among the speakers at today's event are:

• Martin Abrams, executive director, The Information Accountability Foundation
• Daniel W. Caprio Jr., chair of Data Privacy Day and senior strategic advisor for McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
• Stephen Cobb, senior security researcher, ESET North America
• Erin Egan, chief privacy officer, Facebook
• John Gevertz, global chief privacy officer and vice president, Office of Privacy, Risk and Governance, ADP, Inc.
• Susan Grant, director of consumer protection, Consumer Federation of America
• David Hoffman, director of security policy & global privacy officer, Intel
• Brendon Lynch, chief privacy officer, Microsoft

In addition to viewing the event online, there are a myriad of ways for people to get involved in Data Privacy Day celebrations and tons of resources offered online – like MyPrivacyIQ.com – a 10-question quiz developed by Data Privacy Day Small Business sponsor SpiderOak and NCSA that helps everyone to better understand how to protect personal information. To learn more about other DPD and privacy resources, visit: http://www.staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-day/. 

About Data Privacy Day
Led by the National Cyber Security Alliance, Data Privacy Day began in the United States and Canada in January 2008 as an extension of the Data Protection Day celebration in Europe. The Day commemorates the 1981 signing of Convention 108 – the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection. Intel and Microsoft are Leading Sponsors of Data Privacy Day while ADP, AT&T, ESET and Facebook are Contributing Sponsors. Small Business Sponsors include AnchorFree, CyberGhost, PRIVATE WiFi, Reputation.com and SpiderOak. Follow DPD on Twitter and Facebook. The official hashtag of DPD is #DPD14.

About the National Cyber Security Alliance
The National Cyber Security Alliance is a non-profit organization. Through collaboration with the government, corporate, non-profit and academic sectors, the mission of the NCSA is to educate and empower a digital citizenry to use the Internet securely and safely, protecting themselves and the technology they use and the digital assets we all share. NCSA board members include: ADP, AT&T, Bank of America, Comcast Corporation, EMC Corporation, ESET, Facebook, Google, Intel, Leidos, McAfee, Microsoft, PayPal, Symantec, Trend Micro, Verizon and Visa.

SOURCE National Cyber Security Alliance