People are being encouraged to mark World Data Protection Day with a Password Spring Clean. This Friday, the 28th of January will mark the 16th Data Protection Day, an event held globally to raise awareness of the right to data protection.

Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune says “With spring around the corner many will be considering tackling areas they forgot during the rest of the year. Data Protection Day is an ideal time to consider updating your passwords to help keep your digital information private. A recent Eurobarometer survey found that four out of five EU citizens are concerned about their online privacy and security. It can be difficult to figure out if someone else is accessing your accounts. By changing passwords, you reduce the risk that others can see your data.”

The EU Science Hub also has a number of tips for password security. These include the use of passphrases, which are easy to remember, but hard to guess, enabling two factor authentication and using password management software, which will help generate and store your passwords.

MEP Clune, a member of the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee says “Computers, smartphones and the Internet are crucial parts of our way of life, but online safety is essential and looking after your personal data is a great habit to get into”.