Privacy is one of those cybersecurity topics, like ransomware, that has evolved and changed as a persistent threat or vulnerability over the course of decades and has matched technology step for step in terms of something we should prioritize, now more than ever.

For those of us who are fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was super exciting to see a number of spinoffs come to Disney+ in the form of television miniseries that started to debut last year following the conclusion of the Avengers: Endgame film in 2019. The first of these miniseries centered around two popular characters in Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) and Vision titled WandaVision. In this nine-episode miniseries, things are set after the conclusion of Endgame, and Maximoff and Vision find themselves … in the suburban town of Westview, New Jersey, in the 1960s. Just what you’d expect following a fight of galactic proportions featuring superheroes and villains from every corner of the universe, right?

WandaVision takes us through different decades and different domestic obstacles—from nosy neighbors to overbearing bosses to unexpected pregnancies—throughout the series. Each episode presents a new challenge or obstacle as Maximoff and Vision attempt to “fit in” as the new, normal neighbors while concealing their true identities. There are parallels to privacy advancing through the decades and obstacles that stand in the way of someone finding new ways to try and obtain your private information.

As technology has advanced, so too has the information collected on consumers—from your private data, like social security numbers and passwords, to your shopping or spending habits to where you’re planning your next vacation. But when is it all TOO much? That is the question that has been posed for years by entities that are concerned with companies or the government having too much privacy and data information on individuals. Some could argue the notion of privacy is just about gone.

We wrote about it as one of the hot topic issues while at RSA Conference this past year in Privacy Bill: Is Now FINALLY the Time? In late July, the House panel advanced the landmark federal data and privacy bill and now awaits a vote by the Senate after years of back and forth and revisions to move it along. California was the first state to pass privacy data laws, following Europe’s GDPR initiative that went into effect in 2018. Several other states have followed California’s lead, but the key remains to get it federally mandated, regulated, and enforced. There will be a lot of work for companies to get compliant throughout the United States should the bill pass through Congress.

So, as Maximoff and Vision found out in WandaVision, integrating back into life and trying to carve themselves out a place just to be friendly neighbors and conceal their true identities proved more difficult than expected. The same can be said for privacy. No matter how hard you try, the overwhelming majority of us have left or are leaving a digital footprint. It’s nearly impossible just to blend in or not be seen by cybercriminals. The key is to minimize risk and protect your data and digital privacy as much as possible by safeguarding your assets through good hygiene practices.