Within the last few months, we have witnessed the scale of data breaches soar to millions of victims. The most vulnerable victims are usually major companies that process individual data; National Public Data, Medicare, and MC2 Data are all illustrative examples where hundreds of billions of records were leaked and several people become a victim of identity theft, fraud, and other destructive scandals.
Although data leaks are getting alarming day by day, there is also something you can do to protect your personal information. The four key actions that you can undertake to strengthen your online defences and not be a target will be discussed in the following:
Strengthen Your Login Security
As more and more passwords leak out on the web, hackers can use weak or reused passwords much more easily. Since a leaked password leaves cybercriminals with the same password, it can be used to perform credential stuffing attacks, trying the same password combination against different accounts. Risk can be minimised by using different strong passwords for all accounts. This can be achieved using a password manager that keeps them safe.
However, the best password ever designed can still be cracked or guessed, so there is a need for extra layers of security. Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, places a huge barrier to entry, requiring a second form of verification before an account access is given. Two most popular means of 2FA are by email or SMS, but those forms of verification can be intercepted. However, more secure methods include authentication apps or hardware security keys such as YubiKey, whereby gaining possession of the device requires one to log in to any of their accounts.
Other ways to log in include passkeys, which will eventually outpace the usage of passwords. The passkeys are encrypted, specific to your device, and not vulnerable to phishing attacks, thus adding more protection for your accounts. You will also have the opportunity to backup your passkeys or create a back login like the 2FA in case your account loses your device
Secure Your Financial Information
Examples of typical personal information that would be exposed and increase the risk of identity theft in a data breach include a Social Security number. Protecting your financial life comes down to freezing your credit and banking reports. This will prevent someone else from opening accounts in your name. You should check regularly for any suspicious activity on your credit report.
Locking an Identity Protection PIN on the IRS will put further layers of security on your tax filings, so that no one except you can file under your name. It's something that you can get done in days, and a few hours of your time to pay to save yourself from costly and time-consuming fraud.
Be on Your Guard About Communications
The dark web contains so much stolen personal information, making it pretty easy for scammers to write very convincing messages and dial numbers in your name. They could also call pretending to be your bank or a credit card company, as well as someone you know to try and get some more sensitive details. It's really important that you don't have any trust towards unsolicited communications, no matter how truthful they may sound.
If you do receive a message that says an account has been breached, do not click any links and do not provide sensitive personal data over the phone. Reach out to the organisation using official contact channels.
If you are receiving messages supposedly from family or friends, use other communication channels to confirm the request as their accounts may have been hacked.
Don't Rely on Trust Alone
As advanced scams with the aid of artificial intelligence rise, be doubly careful with all your dealings in the digital world. Because scammers are evolving their patterns all the time, it would be even more challenging to distinguish the real one from the fake. Such proactive steps, like securing all accounts, protecting financial information, and confirming any communication, can reduce the danger a person has to face when becoming victimised by cybercrime.
Nothing is foolproof in this changing digital world, but by doing all these, you are making it very difficult for hackers to access your information. Self-protection today may save you from the costly and stressful aftermaths in the future.
