Understanding Data Breaches
Every sector and nation are affected by data breaches. From individuals to Fortune 500 companies. In 2022, data breach costs were an average of $4.35 million per company. Data leaks evoke fear and anxiety about their potential exploitation.
Determining Your Involvement
To check your exposure to data breaches:
Monitor Contact: Email or mail are used to notify you of data breaches by companies, though delays may happen.
Stay Informed: Updates on security breaches should be regularly monitored, as some organizations give priority to discretion.
Visit ‘Have I Been Pwned’: Checking for known breaches, provide your email or phone number.
Use a Password Manager: Security breach tracking experts should be employed to create personalized login credentials.
Consult a Credit Monitoring Agency: Sign up for breach alerts.
Change Passwords: Update credentials immediately if compromised.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Activate 2FA where possible.
Consider a Security Key: Account security starts with physical keys.
How Data Breaches Occur
Understanding common breach methods helps protect against:
Compromised Credentials: Attackers employ either leaked credentials or brute force when they attack.
Magecart Attacks: Payment data can be stolen by malicious code found on e-commerce sites.
Malicious Code Injection: Captures data from legitimate websites.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) Scams: Impersonation for data theft.
Insider Threats: Employee or coerced breaches.
Negligence: Unsecured servers and employee errors.
Spam and Phishing: Deceptive emails.
Social Engineering: Impersonation to access accounts.
Breached victims are at risk of experiencing identity theft, tax fraud, credit damage and account manipulation. Financial repercussions, including reduced credit scores, liability concerns, and elevated stress, result from those events.
Data breaches are a digital threat. To counteract their typical and detrimental effects, safeguard your accounts by practicing account security, regularly updating passwords and being more mindful.
