January 28th is Data Privacy Day – an internationally recognized time to raise awareness about privacy and privacy protections. Data Privacy Day first originated in Europe in 2007 and spread to the United States and Canada in 2008. It is now celebrated in over 40 countries around the globe!

As we live in an ever increasing digital world, it's important that we take time to understand how our personal information is collected and used as well as how we can take steps to protect that information. iKeepSafe has a list of steps consumers can take to protect their privacy when using electronic devices ranging from laptops, to smartphones, game consoles and e-readers. Take a moment to review the Simple Steps to Safer Devices to help protect your family's privacy.

By following some simple steps, consumers can protect their data privacy when using electronic devices.

Consumers of all ages are using more and more digital devices to do more than just check their email. Today, devices are used to do things such as: access the Internet, carry out banking transactions, social networking, and shopping. For children and adults alike, using these wonderful devices brings some unwanted risks.

Here is what consumers need to do to keep information secure on those devices:

Protecting a computer or laptop

Every computer and laptop needs:

- Strong security software. Any computer that is linked to the Internet will be infected if it isn't protected. Whether you use a Windows PC, or a Mac, all computers and laptops need security software. When Apple devices were a tiny minority of the total market, designing malware to attack them wasn't very lucrative, but those days are long gone; iUsers are now profitable targets.
- An active firewall. Computers come with firewalls (a set of programs located on your computer that protect it from being accessed by other computers). These firewalls are turned on by default, don't turn the firewall off!

Additional considerations if the computer/laptop is used by a minor:

- Consider the full range of functionality the computer or laptop offers. Are there features that should be turned off-like location tracking? Webcam chats? iKeepSafe recommends that computers used by minors should be secured with filters and parental controls such as K9 Web Protection or Norton Online Family. These provide a safer experience for youth and protect your machine from unwanted malware.
- iKeepSafe also recommends that parents maintain administrator control of computers, giving children a "limited access" account. This will prevent children and friends from inadvertently downloading malware and illegal content.
- Talk with your child. Make it clear what is and is not acceptable use of the device, including times of day the device is used, the ethical treatment of others, the types of downloads permitted, and so on.