It seems like not a day goes by without another data breach. Take, for example, the iOS fiasco back in March. The following was reported there: iOS X app was sharing crash report If you opt out, you may still use the Platform. It may not look good, but when we see so many of these happenings, it's easy to become numb to the news.
It can't be helped that it's hard to visualize how we, as individuals, affect this equation.Indeed, it is our Data theft and breaches are a problem, but reporting often focuses on the business side of things, which can lead to personal indifference to the consequences of a breach.
Explaining what a data breach means youwhy you should care, and what to do if you're caught in a breach.
What is a data breach?
Let's get started. A data breach occurs when personal data is unlawfully disclosed, accessed, lost, altered, or destroyed through cyber-attacks or other illicit means, such as phishing scams. They can be accidental or calculated attacks, and can range in scale.
According to the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report: 68% of data breaches involved a benign human element— as victims of scams and social engineering tactics.
How do data breaches happen?
Some data breaches are purely accidental (of course, being involved in a data breach is not painless). If a coworker checks out a file on your computer without proper permissions, it's a violation, even if they don't shout out what they see.
Of course, some employees use this kind of secret snooping to the detriment of the company they work for or to make a little money by selling what they find (personal information, intellectual property, etc.) to brokers. Some people do this intentionally.
Phishing for data
Phishing attacks typically take the form of text or email and attempt to trick users into clicking on a bogus link, downloading a dangerous file, or otherwise handing over personally identifiable information. The purpose is
Criminals outside of businesses are also after your data, and these stories often make the news. They use a variety of techniques to get what they want and can plan their digital heist months in advance. Criminals monitor targeted businesses and monitor employees for vulnerabilities, delayed updates, and phishing attacks.
Then, once criminals infiltrate a company's network, they seek out important files and data, such as your name, address, email address, phone number, and even your recent purchases, and sell them to interested brokers.
What is the impact of a data breach?
Click on news articles about data breaches to learn how your company was affected. Maybe you've lost millions of dollars, been sued, or put new security measures in place. The cost to us humans is often overstated.
The truth is, cybercriminals can use your login information as a weapon to wreak havoc.
I and other privacy advocates have been begging people on all fours to use different passwords for each account, but many people do. please do not. However, if a hacker compromises and obtains your password, the first thing they do is check if it works on other sites, so you're making a hacker's day. Masu. This is called credential stuffing and can magnify the impact of a breach.
So if you receive a warning that your old Facebook account is involved in a breach, you may not need to worry too much, but if you've been using the same password for years, that old account may have been linked to a criminal attack. may direct you to your banking app.
Criminals who have broken into your email account will do everything in their power to change your password and force access to your other accounts without you knowing.
One of the most devastating consequences of a data breach is identity theft. It's very easy for criminals to impersonate you online. And if a breach gives criminals your personal information (name, address, date of birth, etc.), they have almost all the tools they need to trick your security questions. , get you into legal trouble, take out risky loans in your name, and buy all sorts of expensive things for yourself. you do pay the price.
What you can do after a data breach
If you're scrolling through X, Facebook, or Reddit every day and realize that the service you're using has been implicated in a data breach, there's no need to panic. There are some things you can (hopefully) do to stay ahead of the criminals behind the attack.
don't sit and wait
Companies don't want to admit they've been compromised. That's embarrassing. Instead, visit haveibeenpwned.com to see if you need to take action.
Take a look at this article to understand how serious the breach is. However, keep in mind that companies may not share all the details of an incident, either to save face or because the scale is currently unclear.
Next, brush up on your digital privacy habits.
- Strengthen your passwords. You knew this was coming. Log in to the affected account and change the password as soon as possible, which means immediately. This stops credential stuffing attacks, which attempt to cross-reference common passwords with stolen account details to log into sites. Remember, use numbers, symbols, and the weirdest non-dictionary terms you can think of. Password managers can also generate strong passwords.
- use Two-factor authentication (2FA): It is an important tool in preventing account takeover by criminals and should be enabled whenever available. You must log in using your password and the code sent to you via message. This means that stolen passwords are of little use as is.
- Look at your account: If you think you may have been affected by a breach, go to your banking app and check your recent transactions. Report anything suspicious and set up alerts to notify you about account activity.
- Curb oversharing: There are no more unknown dangers on the internet. We all tend to share details of our lives online. Snippets of your daily life, career updates, announcements about your new home or vacation, all of which can be used by criminals to impersonate you and force access to other accounts. Additionally, our cavalier attitude toward data sharing can make us insensitive to the real impact of a breach.
- Invest in a VPN. A VPN won't prevent your business from becoming a target for criminals, but it can keep your data safe as you go about your daily browsing. The best VPNs create an encrypted tunnel between your device and the wider web, making your data encrypted as it travels back and forth and unreadable to anyone trying to snoop.