This week, from January 26th to 30th, 2026, the world will observe 

. This global initiative aims to encourage individuals and businesses to prioritize data privacy, protect sensitive information and build trust. In our fully digital society, privacy has become more important — and harder to safeguard — than ever.

Data Privacy Week is a great time for organizations to reassess their data protection measures and consider best practices to ensure the security and privacy of customer information. For Diligent, Data Privacy Week is a time to reflect on all that we are learning about cybersecurity best practices for practitioners, directors and C-suite leaders. Below, we've compiled highlights from a few of our favorite current resources created in partnership with cyber thought leaders.

The significance of data privacy for organizations

Data privacy is the cornerstone of building trust with customers. Today, consumers are more aware of how their personal information is collected, used and shared. The tension between what is legally permissible and what customers expect is a central issue in data privacy.

"Every company's data governance framework might be a little bit different, but broadly speaking, a couple of guiding principles are important." — John Rodi, Co-Leader at the KPMG Board Leadership Center

, John Rodi, Co-Leader at the KPMG Board Leadership Center points out that companies must navigate this fine line carefully. Balancing legal requirements with customer expectations is crucial for maintaining trust and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Organizations face a range of data-related threats that can undermine customer trust and security. Key risks include:

: Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of data.

: Protecting data from breaches and unauthorized access.

: Staying up-to-date with evolving regulations.

Rodi emphasizes the importance of understanding these risks and keeping boards informed. Effective management of these threats is essential to protect sensitive information and uphold privacy standards. Companies must remain vigilant and proactive in identifying and addressing these risks to prevent data breaches and ensure compliance with new privacy regulations.

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Implementing effective data governance strategies

A strong data governance framework is vital for safeguarding customer data. Here are some guiding principles to establish such a framework:

: Ensure data governance policies support the company’s overall strategy.

: Define clear lines of responsibility and accountability.

: Clearly define the roles of the chief data officer (CDO), chief information officer (CIO) and chief information security officer (CISO) to ensure effective oversight and compliance.

Organizations should also establish a system for maintaining compliance with laws and regulations. This includes regular updates to keep the governance framework current with evolving privacy laws and industry standards. A cross-functional team can help manage and oversee data use effectively, ensuring all departments are aligned in their efforts to protect customer data.

By taking these steps, organizations can build a solid foundation for data governance, helping to protect sensitive information and maintain customer trust.

Generative AI (GenAI) brings unique challenges that require careful attention to ensure data privacy. These challenges include:

: Potential inaccuracies in data generated by AI.

: Inherent biases within AI algorithms that can skew outcomes.

Rodi highlights the need for organizations to maintain a thorough inventory of 

AI is being used. Implementing a responsible AI policy that reflects the company’s values and adheres to ethical standards is crucial. Such a policy should include clear guidelines for the development and deployment of AI systems, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Regular assessments and updates to these policies help in adapting to new risks and regulatory changes. Establishing a cross-functional team to oversee AI usage ensures that all departments are aligned in managing AI-related risks. This team can provide ongoing monitoring and address any emerging issues promptly. By taking these steps, companies can mitigate the risks associated with generative AI and maintain customer trust.

The rise of GenAI has significantly changed the cybersecurity landscape, presenting new and complex challenges. Cybersecurity teams must stay ahead of these developments by continually reviewing and updating their security measures. This includes:

: Regularly assessing potential weaknesses in current systems.

: Taking steps to address identified vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

Rodi underscores the necessity for companies to adapt their cybersecurity protocols in response to the evolving threat environment. This proactive stance is essential for defending against sophisticated cyber threats, such as the creation of more realistic deepfakes or the automated generation of malicious code.

Implementing robust security measures and fostering a culture of vigilance within the organization can help mitigate these risks. Ensuring that employees are trained and aware of the latest security practices and potential threats is also crucial. Regularly updating and testing security systems will help organizations maintain strong defenses against potential cyberattacks, thereby protecting customer data and preserving trust.

Fostering a culture of data privacy in 2026

Creating a culture of privacy respect within an organization requires a multifaceted approach that goes beyond mere compliance. It starts with a commitment from leadership to prioritize data privacy and integrate it into the company’s core values. This commitment must be clearly communicated throughout the organization, emphasizing the importance of protecting customer data as a critical element of the company’s mission.

, available through the Diligent One Platform, includes a Cyber Risk & Strategy Certification developed by the Diligent Institute and McNees Wallace offering a comprehensive introduction to cyber security designed to build foundational literacy and knowledge. Tailored for practitioners, directors and leadership, this content contains essential modules about cyber and data privacy regulation for safeguarding organizations. By equipping you with the tools and knowledge to navigate this complex topic, we aim to empower you to make informed decisions and protect your organization in the digital age.

Stay connected to keep ahead of cyber risk

As your organization marks Data Privacy Week, it’s an ideal moment to turn these insights into a concrete plan for stronger data governance, cyber resilience and responsible use of GenAI. From clarifying board oversight to defining roles across the CDO, CIO and CISO, the steps you take now will determine how well you can anticipate emerging risks, meet rising stakeholder expectations and preserve customer trust in 2025 and beyond.

As a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Governance, Risk and Compliance Tools, Diligent partners with boards, executives and practitioners to make cyber and data privacy risk more visible, understandable and actionable. Through the Diligent One Platform and our Education & Templates Library — including the Cyber Risk & Strategy Certification — we help you build the literacy, frameworks and oversight needed to safeguard customer data and stay ahead of evolving regulations.

If you’re ready to strengthen your data protection strategy, we’re here to help. 

 to speak with an expert or request a personalized demo, and discover how we can support your organization in protecting customer data with confidence.

Observing Data Privacy Week 2026: Key strategies for safeguarding customer data

, we’re embracing AI not just as a topic of conversation, but as a practical tool to help you get more out of the conference. This year, you can download the full Elevate 2026 agenda in a convenient AI-ready markdown file and pair it with a ready-to-use prompt that helps you instantly identify the sessions most relevant to your experience and goals.

This simple workflow lets you walk into Elevate with a customized, high‑impact plan ready to make the most of your conference time.

What is an AI markdown file and why is it safe?

You’ll download our Elevate 2026 agenda in markdown (.md) format. Markdown is a lightweight text format commonly used for documentation, notes, and content drafting.

 A markdown file contains only plain text — no macros, no scripts, nothing executable.

 You can open it in any text editor (Notepad, TextEdit, VS Code) to view it and most importantly, you can use it with any AI tool.

 Because markdown can’t run code, it is 

 Headings, bullet points, bolding, and sections display neatly so AI tools can parse the agenda clearly.

In short: it’s simple, clean, and safe — and exactly what AI tools read best.

Step-by-step: Generate your personalized elevate agenda

 which contains the complete agenda in markdown format ready to use on your preferred AI tool, e.g. Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini or others. Then, you’ll copy and paste a short AI prompt (below) into the AI tool and submit to receive your personalized agenda.

Step 1 — Download the Elevate 2026 agenda (.md file)

Save the file to your device so you can upload or paste it into your AI tool.

Step 2 — Open your preferred AI assistant

Use any AI tool that accepts text input and file uploads.

I'm attending Elevate 2026. I'm {bio} and my goals for attending Elevate this year are {goals}. What sessions should I attend? Score each session 0-10 based on alignment with my goals and return the top 10 sessions in descending order by score.

Add your own personalized bio and event goals where indicated. 

I’m attending Elevate 2026. I’m a corporate secretary at a mid-cap public technology company with 8 years of experience supporting the board, managing entity governance, and advising on disclosure and regulatory compliance. My goals for attending Elevate this year are to strengthen my strategic partnership with the board, stay ahead of evolving governance and ESG expectations, learn practical approaches to AI and technology oversight, and connect with peers facing similar public-company challenges. What sessions should I attend? Score each session 0–10 based on alignment with my goals and return the top 10 sessions in descending order by score.

Step 4 — Upload the Elevate agenda file

Most AI tools allow you to upload the elevate‑2026‑agenda.md file, there’s usually a + option to add a file to your prompt space.

Step 5 — Receive your personalized recommendations

The AI will analyze the Elevate 2026 agenda and return:

Scores showing how well each session aligns with your goals

Explanations you can use to guide your schedule

“Create a schedule version arranged by day.”

“Which sessions will help develop my AI skills the most?”

“What networking opportunities align with my goals?”

Elevate 2026 showcases how AI can create real, practical value, and this personalized agenda tool is one way to demonstrate that in action. With just a few steps, you can turn a long agenda into a tailored, strategic plan that helps you make the most of your time at the event.

If you have not yet registered for this hands-on, career-elevating AI-GRC conference, there's still time to join us in Atlanta April 22-24, 2026! 

. Elevate 2026 is where you become an AI leader who elevates governance, clarifies risk and drives transformation. We’d love to see you there.

Unlock your personalized Elevate 2026 agenda with AI

This article originally appeared in our January 15th edition of the Diligent Minute Newsletter. For more insights like these, delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe

After three quarters of near-record low confidence levels

, America’s boardrooms ended 2025 on a surprisingly hopeful note, even as directors brace for another demanding year. The latest 

, our quarterly survey of U.S. public company directors conducted with Corporate Board Member, shows sentiment rebounding sharply after three consecutive quarters at a five-year low throughout much of last year.

Why U.S. board confidence rebounded at the end of 2025

Confidence rose 23% in the final month of the year, climbing from 4.9 to 6.0 on a 10-point scale and finally nudging back into what respondents consider “good” territory. As a key driver behind the shift, directors point to:

In other words, after a year of policy whiplash, boards feel they at least understand the playing field a bit better - even if they don’t like it.

That late-year rally, however, shouldn’t be mistaken for a victory lap. For 2025 overall, average confidence registered just 5.0, well below 2024’s 6.2 and far short of the 6.9 directors had forecast a year ago.

Three quarters of respondents say tariffs were a primary reason conditions fell short of expectations, far outpacing any other factor. Their comments underscore how hard it is for boards to plan when rules change midgame; familiar playbooks don’t work when trade policy and enforcement shift repeatedly.

Tariffs, uncertainty and a new risk landscape

Directors in sectors long considered resilient

, like life sciences, describe this period as unlike anything they’ve seen in decades. Many point to deferred capital spending and elongated decision cycles as companies try to model scenarios that are, frankly, impossible to model with precision. That reality is reshaping how boards think about risk, resilience and the very nature of their oversight role.

Their outlook for business conditions by late 2026 is 6.0, essentially flat from today’s reading. CEOs, by contrast, are modestly more upbeat: in a parallel survey by Chief Executive, they project a 6% improvement to 6.4, and 44% say they expect conditions to improve, compared with 32% of directors. That gap is telling. CEOs are closest to near-term operations; boards are increasingly focused on longer-horizons, compounding risks.

Those directors who are optimistic tend to anchor their confidence in 

 seeing opportunities to transform productivity and reimagine business models. Among those who expect deterioration, concerns skew heavily toward macro and geopolitical risk, with uncertainty emerging as a dominant theme -— on par with inflation for many neutral respondents.

How boards can strengthen oversight and learning in 2026

directors emphasize adaptability, deeper engagement and faster learning, recognizing that they must connect dots across 

5 years of the Director Confidence Index: Tracking a more demanding role

This quarter also marks five years of fielding the Director Confidence Index, and we asked respondents how their roles have evolved since 2020.

Board members say they are spending far more time on risk in a “more complex and faster moving” environment, with cybersecurity, AI, geopolitical shocks, supply-chain integrity and policy volatility now standard agenda items. Many describe a shift from “managing the present” toward future-oriented scenario planning and strategic resilience, alongside heightened scrutiny from investors and activists that expands the mandate beyond financial performance to culture, human capital and corporate character.

Taken together, the picture is clear: being a director today is more time-intensive, strategically demanding and consequential than it was in 2020 and perhaps than it has ever been. One director distilled the 2026 playbook to three words: “Defend and survive.” I would add a fourth: learn. Boards that invest in learning about AI technology, geopolitics, regulation and stakeholder expectations will be best positioned not just to endure whatever comes next, but to help their organizations emerge stronger on the other side.

Boards brace for 2026: Confidence rebounds, risk looms 

This article originally appeared in our December 18th edition of the Diligent Minute Newsletter. For more insights like these, delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe 

As we close out 2025, I’ve been reflecting on what this year taught us and the word that comes to mind is “unprecedented.” Insights from the Diligent Institute’s research show how directors navigated multiple unprecedented challenges – often simultaneously – while also driving major change. The lessons we learned this year aren’t just a look back. They can be a compass pointing to the directional shifts boards will need to embrace as governance moves into a faster, more AI-enabled era.

Five governance shifts boards must prepare for in 2026

What will change: Boards will move beyond passive reporting and lean into more 

 Predictive analytics and scenario planning will become part of everyday conversations, helping directors navigate volatility before it hits.


Why? Director confidence hit historic lows in 2025. Our 

 conducted in partnership with Corporate Board Member, landed at just 4.8 out of 10, among the lowest since the pandemic. That’s a wake-up call for faster, smarter decision-making. If you’re curious whether sentiment is shifting, our Q4 results will be live by the time this issue hits your inbox. Check them out to see if optimism is making a comeback.

What will change: Dashboards won’t just summarize risks. They’ll surface them within hours, and crisis protocols will kick in during the first 72. AI-powered assurance will scan massive datasets to catch anomalies as they happen, and directors will be able to ask complex questions in plain language and get instant answers. Oversight will move from reacting after the fact to staying ahead of the curve, a fundamental change in risk management.

 7.9 out of 10. Quarterly updates aren’t enough anymore. Boards need early-warning systems and integrated intelligence to keep pace.

3) AI governance moves to the top of the agenda

What will change: Agentic AI is moving fast, from assisting to acting. Boards will need to build AI literacy, test for bias and keep humans in the loop to manage less visible risks.

Why: Two-thirds of directors used AI tools in 2025, but 

, 57% of respondents said their organizations had deployed AI in one or more areas of the business, but only 36% had audited usage.As AI deployment climbs higher on the priority list for 2026, closing this governance gap is critical.

4) Integration becomes a growth essential

What will change: M&A ambitions will stall without tech integration. Boards that prioritize scalable platforms will unlock faster, cleaner transactions and reduce risk during rapid growth periods as integration readiness becomes a board-level KPI.

 conducted in partnership with Wilson Sonsini and NetSuite, found only 4% of organizations had fully integrated GRC and financial systems.

What will change: Board agendas will shift toward forward-looking conversations powered by predictive analytics and cultural insights. Directors will widen their lens beyond financials to include culture and workforce resilience, using anonymized data to spot risks before they surface.

Why: The ability to anticipate, not just react, will define effective governance in 2026. Boards that lean on AI-driven scenario modeling and continuous feedback loops will stay aligned with fast-changing realities.

Turning 2025 board lessons into a 2026 action plan

2026 will reward boards that act, not just react. That means pairing human judgment with AI-driven foresight, embedding continuous assurance and integrating systems for scalability. Governance is moving from static to dynamic – and the boards that thrive will be ready to keep pace.

Check out the full blog on trends shaping governance in 2026.

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Observing Data Privacy Week 2026: Key strategies for safeguarding customer data

Unlock your personalized Elevate 2026 agenda with AI

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