Navigating the digital frontier: A deep dive into Data Privacy Day 2026

Data Privacy Day, observed each year on January 28, should serve as an important reminder that safeguarding sensitive information is no longer optional. Unfortunately, some consumers and organizations could use the reminder.

Data privacy isn’t just a practice for fending off cyberattacks, although that element is important. It is also a critical part of building trust, meeting regulatory requirements and maintaining business continuity.

Data Privacy Day, originally known as Data Protection Day, has surprisingly deep roots, with its origin linked to the Council of Europe’s Convention 108, signed on January 28, 1981. The landmark agreement, reached in an era when personal computers were still something of a luxury, established one of the first international frameworks for protecting individuals and the processing of their personal data.

Over time, Data Privacy Day gained broader recognition around the world, including in the United States, where it has become an important opportunity to promote education, awareness and best practices around data protection.

At its core, data privacy is about the responsible handling and protection of personal information. It includes ethical and legal considerations surrounding how data is collected, stored, processed and shared.

Data privacy ensures that individuals maintain control over their information and that organizations have safeguards in place to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction of sensitive data.

Cyberthreats continue to evolve dramatically. Attackers are using AI to hone their efficiency and effectiveness in targeting individuals and organizations through ransomware attacks, phishing campaigns, malware infections and large-scale data breaches. The impact of an attack can be severe, ranging from massive financial losses and reputational damage to regulatory penalties and operational disruption.

Consumer concerns reflect this reality. In the Acronis Data Privacy in 2025 survey, 64% of respondents said data breaches are their top privacy concern, making breaches the leading issue globally. And the threat is very real. Nearly 24% of respondents reported having already been victims of a data breach and a quarter said they have experienced personal data loss or theft.

And yet many consumer don’t back up their concerns with action. Dangerous digital behavior remains alarmingly common.

The Acronis Data Privacy in 2025 Survey found that:

• About two-thirds back up their data regularly, but 35% do not; almost 10% don’t backup data at all.
• Nearly 30% find security tools too difficult to set up or manage.
• Almost 10% of respondents report using no tools at all to protect themselves online.

These findings demonstrate a need for stronger education and increased awareness of cyber risks and the critical importance of cyber protection.

Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are trying to their part to bring consumers and organizations into developing healthy cybersecurity routines. Most regulations are designed to protect individuals, strengthen organizational accountability and reduce systemic cyber risk.

Some of the most influential regulations shaping today’s privacy landscape include GDPR, HIPAA, GLBA and ADPPA, as well as newer frameworks such as NIS 2 and the Cyber Resilience Act.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is one of the world’s strongest privacy laws. Established by the European Union, it governs how organizations collect, process and protect personal data. GDPR applies not only to businesses operating in the EU but also to any organization that targets or collects data related to EU residents. It emphasizes transparency, lawful processing, individual rights and strong security safeguards.

Acronis supports GDPR compliance through secure backup, encryption, access controls and integrated cyber protection solutions.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), enacted in 1996, focuses on safeguarding protected health information (PHI). HIPAA sets standards for the secure handling and electronic transmission of sensitive healthcare data, with a goal of ensuring confidentiality, integrity and availability across healthcare systems and providers.

Acronis helps organizations meet HIPAA requirements with secure storage, backup, ransomware protection and disaster recovery capabilities.

The NIS 2 Directive is a major update to the EU’s cybersecurity rules for critical infrastructure and essential services. NIS 2 expands requirements around risk management, incident reporting, supply chain security and executive accountability. It applies to a broader range of sectors, including IT providers and managed service providers.

Acronis helps organizations align with NIS2 through integrated cyber protection, monitoring and recovery solutions.

The Cyber Resilience Act is a new EU regulation designed to improve the cybersecurity of products with digital elements, including hardware and software. Its goal is to ensure that technology products are built securely from the start, supported with vulnerability management and maintained throughout their lifecycle. This regulation impacts manufacturers, vendors and supply chain partners across industries.

The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), passed in 1999, applies to financial institutions and requires them to protect consumers’ non-public personal information. GLBA mandates clear privacy policies and appropriate safeguards, with the aim of promoting transparency, accountability and secure data handling in the financial sector.

The American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) is proposed federal legislation intended to create a comprehensive data privacy framework in the United States. It reflects a growing national push toward stronger consumer privacy rights and clearer organizational responsibilities in the digital economy.

Facing a growing number of dangerous threats, organizations need more than basic backup. They need cyber protection that is integrated, proactive and built for resilience.

Acronis delivers natively integrated cybersecurity, data protection and endpoint management to help organizations identify, prevent, detect, respond, remediate and recover from modern cyberthreats with minimal downtime.

With solutions designed to support regulatory compliance, Acronis helps organizations:

• Protect sensitive data through secure backup and encryption.
• Defend against ransomware, phishing and malware.
• Strengthen operational resilience and recovery.
• Meet evolving privacy and cybersecurity expectations.
• Build trust with customers, patients and partners.

Data Privacy Day is more than a yearly reminder. It is a call to action for individuals, businesses and policymakers to take privacy and cyber protection seriously. As cyberthreats increase and regulations expand, organizations must adopt stronger safeguards and proactive strategies to protect personal information.