Time to spring clean your digital passwords

This Saturday, January 28, is the 17th Data Protection Day, an event held globally to raise awareness and initiate conversations around data privacy, protection and best practices.

Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune says: “With spring around the corner, Data Protection Day is an ideal time to consider updating your passwords to help keep your digital information safe. It can be difficult to figure out if someone else is accessing your accounts, but by changing passwords regularly 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 is a member of the European Parliament's Internal Market & Consumer Protection Committee and a lead negotiator for the new Artificial Intelligence Act.

“There has been remarkable change since the Council of Europe established the first legally binding international data protection laws on January 28, 1981 and constant updates are required to keep up with technological development.

“The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), strengthened individuals rights and placed strict requirements on businesses dealing with consumer data."