January 28 was National Data Privacy Day, which is an opportunity to reflect on how you’re keeping your information safe on the internet. 

Kent State has been busy all month promoting cyber security. Kent State’s Chief Information Security Officer Bob Eckman has some times on different practices for data protection.

“It’s a tremendous amount of data that surrounds you that’s personal data, could be health care data, grade related, financial data, from at least a university perspective that’s very important to us to keep safe,” said Eckman.

 According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 5 billion people have smartphones – including 81 in every 100 Americans. In this digital age, Eckman says it is especially important to make sure your data is secure. 

 One way Kent Students can ensure their information is protected is by being careful which sites they share personal information with.

 “Make sure it’s an https site, that means it’s a secure http website, don’t interact with websites that are just http,” said Eckman.

 He also says it’s important to stay vigilant, whether you’re on your personal computer or a public device. 

“We often forget about the devices we interact with on a daily basis,” said Eckman. “Ensure they’re locked out. Biometrics or passcodes, either one.”

And it goes beyond things like passwords and financial information – Eckman says your social media accounts can compromise your personal data. 

For more information on how to keep your data safe, visit https://www.kent.edu/it/secureit/identity-protection-tips.

Nadine Battah is a TV2 reporter. Contact her at [email protected].