Protecting personal data the foundation of trust in an AI-driven worldYesterday (28 January) was World Data Privacy Day and organisations around the world should have paused to reflect on how personal information is collected, stored, and protected. This shift makes Data Privacy Day more relevant than ever: protecting personal data today is about preventing misuse before it happens, not reacting after trust has already been broken. Why traditional privacy controls are no longer enoughFor years, data privacy strategies focused on policies, consent notices, and perimeter security. In an AI-driven world, protecting personal data requires organisations to fundamentally rewrite how security operations. “On World Data Privacy Day, the message is clear: those who secure data by design will earn trust, resilience, and long-term confidence in the digital economy,” van Rensburg concludes.