CSR, the leading provider of award-winning data compliance solutions and expert business services helping organizations domestically and around the globe, is pleased to celebrate today, Data Privacy Day, by encouraging awareness of the personal and private data entrusted to organizations.

Data Privacy Day (in US and Canada), or Data Protection Day, as it is known in Europe, provides the opportunity for citizens to learn about the risks “to understand what kind of data about them is collected and processed, why this is done, and what rights they have” with respect to their data. It’s also a good time for organizations to evaluate their processes and champion education.

The EU’s Justice Commissioner, Vice-President Viviane Reding, describes the universal problem in today’s release: "We live in a digital world in which personal data has enormous economic value. Already, a person's location patterns can be captured and tracked. Soon, sensors will tell phones whether their users are alone or in a crowd.”

As a fellow in the European Privacy Association, CSR’s Founder Ross Federgreen is helping to tackle the reform needed for consumers worldwide to navigate safely in this digital age. “The Justice Commissioner hopes to have a uniform, modern protection law effective for the EU in the next year,” says Federgreen.

In the meantime, Data Privacy Day is marked by activities in the US, Canada and 27 European countries. CSR team members, active in the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), suggest a good way to get involved is to take the IAPP’s recommendation to participate by giving presentations about privacy in your own organizations or at local high schools, colleges and universities.

For more information, visit the Data Privacy Day web page to download presentations, see how you can participate and locate additional ideas and resources. On Twitter, follow the conversation by using hashtag #DPD13.

For its part, CSR continues to share the need to protect personally identifiable information, not just credit card data, at this week’s 2013 NorthEast Acquirers Winter Seminar. CSR’s Director of Consulting Linda Grimm will deliver “The Future of PCI - Protecting Only Credit Card Data Isn’t Enough: How to Use Personal Data Protection Services to Improve Customer Retention and Boost Your Bottom Line” on January 30, describing how value-added resellers can benefit while helping their customers learn about protecting personal data.

Another way organizations of all sizes can participate is to learn more and share CSR’s white paper: “Best Practices for Managing Personally Identifiable Information (PII) / Beyond PCI: The New Standard for Securing Data.”

Acquirers, ISOs, payment processors, value-added resellers, franchisors and other associations interested in offering PCI compliance or post-breach data solutions like CSR’s PCI ToolKit, the CSR Breach Reporting ToolKit or CSR consulting services to their merchants or members can email sales@csrcorporate.com or call 1-866-462-7774 for more information.

About CSR

CSR is the leading provider of data compliance solutions and expert business services that helps organizations turn compliance into revenue both domestically and around the globe. We enable compliance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards and Personally identifiable information (PII) requirements while facilitating best practices to reduce the business risk and financial liability associated with the acquisition, handling, storage, sharing and disposal of data.

The company is a PCI Security Standards Council Participating Organization and is a member of Merchant Acquirers’ Committee (MAC), International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), Electronic Transactions Association, European Privacy Association, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HTFP) Association, and National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA).

Founded in 1999, CSR is a privately held corporation headquartered in Jensen Beach, Fla. For more information, please contact CSR at 866.462.7774 or visit www.csrcorporate.com.

About Data Privacy Day

Led by the National Cyber Security Alliance, Data Privacy Day began in the United States and Canada in January 2008 as an extension of the Data Protection Day celebration in Europe. The Day commemorates the 1981 signing of Convention 108 – the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection.

About The National Cyber Security Alliance

The National Cyber Security Alliance is a non-profit organization. Through collaboration with the government, corporate, non-profit and academic sectors, the mission of the NCSA is to educate and empower a digital citizenry to use the Internet securely and safely. NCSA board members include: ADP, AT&T, Bank of America, EMC Corporation, ESET, Facebook, Google, Intel, McAfee, Microsoft, PayPal, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Symantec, Trend Micro, Verizon and Visa.