The Price of Privacy: Can A Data Breach Cause A Lawsuit?
The modern world depends on digital databases, and when you give your sensitive data to places like hospitals, stores, and financial institutions, you expect they will protect your digital information seriously and responsibly. Nevertheless, cyberattacks and data breaches to such databases can expose your vulnerable data and put you at risk of personal and financial damages. Have you recently experience losses due to a data breach? Lucky for you because you can claim compensation from the organization liable for the breach through a lawsuit. What’s a data breach, by the way? Every time you sign up with a new bank, make an online purchase or even go to your dentist, the entity or company enters your data into a database to benefit the client and user experience. Data breaches occur when a hacker finds a method to exploit vulnerable areas within the database to decode the security measures protecting your information. Hence, hackers could have access to your Social Security numbers, credit card details, emails, and other important personal info you like to keep confidential. Data breaches normally happen for one of two reasons. A hacker might exploit an organization’s database for personal benefit. They may like to sell the information to make money or utilize the accessible financial data to make purchases. Or, a hacker may like to cause a problem for the organization and its users. For instance, the infamous Ashley Madison hack in 2015 exploited its users’ data and email addresses. Since the dating site was catering to individuals who liked to have extramarital affairs, the data breach caused massive damage to the organization’s reputation. It ruined the personal lives and image of its users. Potential damages in a data breach lawsuit The website or company where the data breach happened might not be liable for the breach itself, and filing a lawsuit against the hacker might not be your best choice. If you’ve suffered damages, you can attempt to hold the breached organization accountable for the failure to keep your sensitive information safe and the trouble that the breach caused. You can claim substantial compensation through a data breach lawsuit, depending on the type of breach you’re a victim of and the damages you experienced. Working with a consumer protection lawyer can help you identify the damages you can justify legally, which may involve the following: Emotional damage connected with the breach, like damage to reputation, damage to credit, emotional distress, and invasion of privacy The cost of credit reports and credit insurance Service charges for tracking and safeguarding your data after the breach The cost of fixing data damaged by the breach The cost of changing your debit and credit cards Any out-of-pocket expenses you shell out because of the breach Are you a victim of a data breach? Then it’s possible to gather info through a lawsuit against the organization liable for putting your data at risk. Contact a data breach lawyer immediately to talk about your legal options once you’ve taken reasonable actions to lower the breach’s effect.
Privacy and Remote Surveillance: Can We Trust Systems to Protect Who Is Watching Us?
Is your security camera safe? With more security devices linked to networks and systems, they are also exposed to different network-based hacks and attacks. Privacy today experiences increasing threats from a rising surveillance apparatus that is justified in national security. Different government agencies—the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Security Agency, and other local and state law agencies—intrude upon private communications of innocent people, collect massive databases of who we call and when, and list suspicious activities based on the most unclear standards. When Surveillance Becomes a Problem In the newest iteration, at least 150,000 security cams installed in factories, hospitals, businesses, and schools were compromised, offering outsiders access to video from psychiatric hospitals, prisons, Tesla factories and so much more. Hackers claim to have breached surveillance agency Verkada that delivered a statement telling they’re studying the scope and scale of the case and that they notified the law enforcement. Apparently, the attack was not sophisticated, using a privileged administrator account to access the system. According to a Verkada spokesperson, every internal administrator account has been disabled throughout the investigation to avoid unauthorized access. Some of the cameras breached utilized facial recognition technology and analytics to determine and distinguish video footage people. Further, the hackers claimed they have had access to the complete video archive of every Verkada customer—which involves audio, archived video, and live feeds. Tillie Kottman, one of the assumed hackers, told Bloomberg that the international hacker collective had planned to present the universality of video surveillance and effortlessness. It could be compromised—particularly when devices are linked as part of the IoT. The Privacy Problems of Security Cameras Unluckily, security cameras cannot track selectively. Anybody stepping into the monitored space will be caught on the camera and watched until they leave. When the recorded footage is saved, that could be used against anybody when the occasion comes. Here’s a random situation showing to what level this could go: The surveillance team could blackmail a cheating husband walking down the block with his lover. A camera could record an innocent stranger passing by down the street when the incident occurred in a nearby location. That person might not have anything to do with the incident, but he could become a suspect as he’s the only person caught on the surveillance at the time. Are Security Cameras an Invasion of People’s Privacy? You will find numerous grey areas about surveillance technology. The general guideline is to use them where it’s useful for security purposes. Do you plan to stalk people or control staff from afar to boost security? Surveillance could spiral out of control. But to avoid surveillance breach here’s the thing you can do: Execute multifactor authentication on accounts, stopping threat factors from logging in Track IOCs, like impossible travel Use the principle of least privilege, limiting the scope of damages in the event of a breach Making sure privileged accounts are only few Companies can also lower the risk by performing careful vendor risk evaluations before buying in.
Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience: What’s the Difference?
The significance of cybersecurity in today’s fast-paced world can’t be ignored. Business leaders globally are aware of the significance of cybersecurity, yet the needed attention isn’t given to its execution and cyber resilience. With a deep understanding of the cybersecurity and cyber resilience, it’s needed to learn the practical execution to protect you in the digital world. People who don’t pay close attention to these two often land in big fiscal loss with the loss of reputation within the market. Both terms have become typical in the industry and utilized as buzzwords to sound fancy. But the reality is many professionals don’t know the essential difference between the two. That can be very bothersome and can lead to devastating results in the aftermath of a data breach. Let’s look at the major difference between these two: What’s the Major Difference between Cybersecurity & Cyber Resilience? Let’s paint a picture for you to help further explain both terms in the simplest way possible. What’s cybersecurity? Cybersecurity is widely used by many. It talks about protecting your computer networks and system from modification, damage, and disruptions. For instance, using a VPN will stock malicious entities or hackers from modifying or intercepting the data packets delivered and received over your network. Here, using a VPN can be part of your cybersecurity strategy. Cybersecurity is composed of standard processes executed to stop hackers from compromising your IT networks. However, you will still find room for error even if your cybersecurity strategy is a part, along with industry standards. With continuously changing threat landscapes, you will find an opportunity where a hacker may find a loophole in your network. What about cyber resilience? On the other hand, cyber resilience identifies how well anybody can continue their operations in a post-cyberattack case. An entity must perform its daily operations as normal with proper cyber resilience strategy irrespective of a cyber disruption or cyberattack. What makes this crucial is its capability to keep operations during a mission-critical situation. Hence, cyber resilience concentrates on assessing threats, risk and building continuity planning to keep operations after a data breach. In short, cybersecurity concentrates on protection while cyber resilience concentrates on building strategies to flourish when cybersecurity fails because of some reasons. What is their Importance? You see, your entire business operations may come to a total halt without cyber resilience, especially in case of a severe cyberattack. Cybersecurity itself is just good for protection and can’t help you recover from possible attacks. Hence, when your cybersecurity fails, cyber resilience is accountable for bringing operations back to average. It is easy to think that your cybersecurity strategies are foolproof. However, it is better to remain realistic. Accept that the worst thing could happen when you are least expecting it and create resilience strategies to deal with unexpected calamities. That’s the reason why cyber resilience is a big part of any company’s risk management strategy. To sum up, cyber resilience and cybersecurity are always codependent. When implemented together and properly, only you can lower the damages caused by a cyberattack.
Pay or Die: The Life-Threatening Cyber Attacks of The Healthcare Industry
For the past years, the healthcare sector has been a major target for cybercriminals. Did you know that healthcare data breaches exploit highly sensitive data, from personally identifiable information like names, addresses, Social Security numbers to sensitive health information like patients’ medical histories, health insurance info, and Medicaid ID numbers? The reasons behind cyber-attacks on healthcare organizations are evident: health insurance companies, pharmacies, urgent care clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare providers keep archives of valuable data. These are juicy details that can be utilized for identity theft than any other industry. Further, the healthcare sector is widely recognized as having weak security. In fact, a recent report discovered that healthcare ranked 9th out of all sectors when it comes to the overall security rating. Cyberattack on Finnish Healthcare Thousands of psychotherapy patients in Finland reported receiving extortion notes from hackers. The alleged hackers had breached Vastaamo, a private healthcare company. They stole important treatment records during such attacks involving recordings of doctor-patient sessions. Extorting clients is an unprecedented way for hackers. Normally, they request ransom from the company from which they have stolen sensitive information. When the healthcare company refused, the hackers sought out the patients themselves. The cyberattack against the company clarifies that the healthcare sector is more prone to cyberattacks than any other industry. What Makes the Healthcare Sector More Vulnerable than Ever? It’s assumed that the first cyberattack incident on Vastaamo’s healthcare facilities occurred in 2018. The information is now being leaked or used for patient’s extortion. You will also find reasons why healthcare information is more significant to cybercriminals than credit cards or Social Security numbers. That’s because the data’s owners are in a more vulnerable position. It is not only their credit score or money which is at risk—it’s their peace of mind, their health. That it is their more intimate privacy, that’s something they could never get back when it leaks out to the public. Hence, the healthcare sector must keep their data safe and take security much seriously. Further, patient data is not the only thing that is a huge risk. Important patients and devices like surgical robots, pacemakers, and ventilators are connected as well. That suggests they are under threat as well. Hospitals today are being sabotaged without even knowing. How to Prevent Cyberattacks on the Healthcare Industry? The initial step to any cybersecurity resilience plan is to keep in mind the holy trinity of cybersecurity: Technology Processes People Healthcare facilities should invest in the proper technology to keep their private data safe. These technologies include spam-filters and antivirus software. That also indicates upgrading to a software that is regularly patched. Healthcare facilities must train their staff to use the internet and email safely and make a powerful security culture among their staff. Ultimately, there must be processes in place which help keep data safe. Rules which apply to everyone and strategies on how to respond should a security breach take place.
Security During Covid: Is Your Startup Vulnerable To Cyber Attacks?
A lot of personal information, including your leaked, attacks on the power grid, cyber attacks, and credit card information breached. The pandemic has made new challenges for startups as they settle into a working model wherein work-at-home turns out to be the new normal. Startups are stepping up their online transformation, and now cybersecurity is a major issue. The operational, legal, reputational, as well as compliance insinuations could be significant if cybersecurity threats are taken for granted. Cyber attacks on the biggest startups took the world of business by storm during COVID-19. 50Mn records were stolen. While many of these occurrences made headlines all over the world, many small-scale cyber attacks stay unreported. A lot of viruses and malware infecting sites went unreported simply because they aren’t renowned. While these cyber attacks were massive, the response to the incident was commendable by startups; they issued significant public reports and explained what happened and what procedures they were taking to address this issue. Though the concept must be to make sure that such occurrences never occur in the first place or even though they do, they must be of a level much smaller. This is possible with constant security audits, early detection of threats, and real-time security. How to Increase Startups Cybersecurity Startups must implement vital cyber hygiene protocols such as: Antivirus Security: Workers must be given a permit to malware and antivirus apps for usage on their computers and laptops. Even if this doesn’t provide failsafe security, it gets rid of lots of low-level breaches. Cybersecurity Awareness: Workers must be briefed on the most excellent procedures and protocols to regulate email sending or other content to exclusive email addresses or cloud storage. Determine Weak Spots: All information technology systems have shortcomings. Businesses must conduct tests to determine them and pact the critical susceptibilities when possible. This can take the type of susceptibility scanning or diverse kind of penetrating assessing exercises. What is more, the hardening of parts of the technical infrastructure must be done. Often Reviews: Firms must regularly assess cybersecurity threat exposure and know if existing controls are strong enough. Any new types of attack which have appeared in the past must be regarded during the reviews. Use New Tools and Technology: Startups can utilize state-of-the-art tools like host checking to check the security posture of endpoints prior to granting access to business information systems to strengthen the security of working at home. Conclusion Keeping their business safe during this time is on the program of many startups but should maybe be given lots of time and attention because of the rising risks during COVID-19. In the middle of the second wave of the virus and issues concerning the possible third wave, startups must be proactive in solving the risks and plan methods of avoiding successful cyber attacks instead of responding once they happen. On the other hand, even if prevention techniques are vital, there are also needs for detection, response, and recovery capabilities. This international health crisis has taught people that preparation is vital to limiting the threats associated with cyberattacks. The capability of quickly reacting to unwanted events helps a lot in reducing the effect of cyberattacks.
The Growing Vulnerability Of Remote Working In Our Post-Pandemic World
Fifty-six percent of workers utilize their desktops or personal computers as their corporations go remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What is more, almost 25 percent of workers working from home are not aware of what security procedures are in place on their tools. Over 1 in 4 workers often have or more problems with spotting the internet, restricting the efficacy of antivirus. Anti-Virus and Non-Hardened Devices Today’s workforce is dependent on non-hardened work tools and at-home internet networks, and with no dependable connectivity, they might not be acquiring the security they need. Detection tools and antivirus need a continuous network connection to keep efficient at obstructing attacks. Endpoint devices like non-gardened computers can also cause a considerable threat to the security of the enterprise network. According to the current research, the average expense of a successful assault was USD8.9 million in 2019. What is more, attacks surface has expanded during the health emergency through employee dependence on collaboration programs? This tool is gradually more in the crosshairs of nasty parties and has less than enough patching procedures. Vulnerabilities have pushed businesses to ban worker use of such programs to lessen the threat of sophisticated breaks. Researchers have found one such fault in the Zoom app in April, which allowed risk actors to record Zoom meetings without the participants’ knowledge. The Risk of Apps Used When Working at Home Offending applications were being downloaded and installed by remoter employees themselves. There are a massive number of applications claiming to provide collaboration functionality, even if, in reality, they were intended to steal important information like trick users into giving access to microphone and camera or messaging content, thus allowing remote attackers to eavesdrop. Even if 62 percent of WFH workers rate their information technology department’s replies to a pandemic is above the standard. In contrast, a third of workers rate the response as below or average. Now the job of information technology experts is to improve distributed personnel cybersecurity as work from home keeps on in the coming years. A lot of businesses have witnessed gains in productivity during a remote work, and many big companies have already proclaimed more lasting WFH adoption. So, just as IT leaders and experts are re-examining what devices are ideal for remote efficiency and output, they should reassess which factors of the cybersecurity stacks improve remote trade continuity. Securing work from home workers is proving to be a big challenge for IT teams, who are now also working at home, making the task even harder. On the other hand, engaging with work-at-home workers to give suggestions on how to work securely and safely can go a long way to keep them and the broader organization- safe and sound from attacks; something will be good for all in due course. Engaging with work-at-home employees on the sign-in procedures and protocols they must apply and use, the occurrence reporting they must follow, and the apps granted for work will assist all and sundry to their job to keep the company and its assets safe and sound.
How AI And Machine Learning Will Improve Marketing In The Future
Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning are revolutionizing all industry and business factors; however, most marketers have just scratched the surface of the possible use of this groundbreaking technology. There are more than 300 million possible consumers in the United States alone. Multiply this number of branded products in a specific category, bearing in mind all diverse configurations and variants on hand for procurement. Then, consider how those procurement choices are impacted by past brand interactions, weather, kind of device, time of day, language, personal preference, sentiment, and a whole lot more. There’s no way an individual could have an entry to these variables, include them into actionable insights as well as roll-out activities in real-time. Due to this, marketers depend on the analysis of big data to link the dots. For real-time, efficient, and targeted activities, marketers depend on machine learning and artificial intelligence. AI and its use in ML can assist a team of marketing in controlling micro-target consumers, expenses, perform precise demand forecasting, measurable return on investment, obtain actionable insights, and eliminate waste in offline and online spending. While people are likely to utilize the terms AI and ML interchangeably, there are different disparities between them. Artificial intelligence refers to the creation of machines that are interested, which learn from the environment, and able to close-human problem solving. ML or machine learning is the use of artificial intelligence, which offers a system that can assess information and boost itself without being openly taught to do so. Machine learning and artificial intelligence can assist in getting rid of marketing waste by enabling micro-targeting of consumers open to conversion and following on buying and helping them know the best offer and form for utmost efficiency. Marketers can obtain real-time responsiveness. A technology that runs typically automatically can make structure dynamic content and make a retargeting decision on the spot in reaction to the customer’s behaviors. Lessened Expenses: Automated jobs set and forget, reduced investments in workers’ time and resources, which marketers could apply to tactical purposes. The whole team can be more efficient and productive. Companies can get rid of waste which happens naturally as the outcome of mass advertising, by personalizing every offer to the least amount to an impact purchasing decision. Make Marketing Efforts Easier: With this latest technology, companies can use client behavioral information to precisely determine who are likely to be clients. This goes beyond conventional information analytics as machine learning algorithms can integrate outcomes of marketing hard works and utilize them to enhance strategic choices in future efforts. Marketing departments can make the campaign easier, utilizing micro-targeting outcomes from machine learning plans to concentrate on customers, which can be affected without wasting resources and effort on less likely candidates. Obstructions to personalization take account of omnichannel integration, poor quality of data, complex execution, and inability to measure return on investment. Machine learning can assist in eliminating these obstructions to success through automatically gathering. These could be analyzing superior customer information, offering actionable insights as well as automatically doing personalized interaction with active content.
Are You Vulnerable? Shocking Cyberattack Statistics Every Digital User Should Know About
Everyone must determine what the existing information cybersecurity and security industry look like. With this in mind, we have brought to you some of the most shocking and alarming cyberattack stats to offer you an idea of the number of cyberattacks happening globally. 80% of mobile fraud is being performed through mobile applications Did you know that some of the most sought-after mobile app categories accountable for the increase in mobile cyberattacks are games (18.97%) and personalization or tools (22.32%)? Others are composed of media players (9.23%), communications (9.72%), and shopping/entertainment (15.76%). Reports also found out that 83% of companies claim that their company was at risk of mobile threats. Stats on how many cyberattacks take place every day go further to inform you that mobile fraud has risen by over 600% between 2015 and 2020. Cyberattacks cost could increase to six trillion dollars by the end of 2021 In 2015, the annual cost of a cyberattack was set at three trillion dollars, according to cyber attacks on businesses statistics. In 2019, the average cost of cyberattacks was set at 3.92 million dollars, and the average cost per second stolen was $141. Nevertheless, in nations like the United States, the standard cost of a single record leaps to at least $225. China is the biggest source of all DDoS attacks you will find on the web In 2018, 4.5 million of every DDoS attack globally came from China. You see, stats of cyberattacks in the globe go further to tell you that Russia and the United States had 1.5 million and 2.7 million, accordingly. China had a 62.97% and 58.46% share of the overall global DDoS attacks in the third and fourth quarter of 2019. Globally, mobile network, cloud, IoT devices, and the IT sector suffered from more than 8.4 million DDoS attacks in 2019 When we talk about DDoS attacks, the telecommunications sector stays as the most hit industries. Remember that a direct DDoS attack on a telecommunication company can lower network capacity, degrade operational performance, boost traffic exchange cost, interrupt service accessibility, and often bring down internet access. The number of DDoS attacks in 2019 raised by 180% compared to last year, with over two-thirds of those attacks directed at the telecommunications sector. The prices of share fall 7.27% on average after a cyber breach The lowest point takes place up to fourteen market days after a breach. Payment and finance firms saw the biggest drop in share performance after a breach. 350,000 new malware pieces are produced every day In case you didn’t know, a hundred thousand new malware are being made regularly that ranges from spyware, Trojans, adware, and viruses, among others. Their goal is to steal your data. 86% of every data breach is financially encouraged Based on a cyberattacks statistics, that is up from 71% documented in 2018. Nearly all hacks nowadays are financially encouraged, from stealing people’s bank account details to social security numbers, down to ransomware attacks. Only a few are performed because of grudges and other reasons. In 2019, it cost firms an average of $3.92 million to resolve a data breach For countries like the United States, a data breach’s standard price can reach approximately $8.2 million. On the other hand, organizations such as Equifax have shelled at least $2 billion resolving a data breach in its database in 2017. That offered cyber offenders the access to steal millions of customer information. 60% of malicious domains available online relate to spam campaigns Between March 9 and April 6, 2020, more than three hundred thousand COVID-19 keyword-related malicious domains were registered on the World Wide Web. Hackers globally are on the lookout for new ways to extort their victims. Web spamming is one of the common tactics they use. This scenario is when a website owner tries to outsmart Google in a bit to get their malicious websites ranked high in the SERP for increased traffic. Statistics on cyberattacks show that hidden text, cloaking, content stuffing, and keyword stuffing were the most utilized web-spamming tactics by hackers. Their strategies have moved up a notch these days because of the innovations in search engine algorithms. Such malicious sites adopt attempts such as overly Linky footers and low-quality guest posting to bypass Google rankings. Ransomware attacks increased with a 363% YoY growth in Q2 in 2019 Did you know that $11.5 billion was the overall cost of ransomware attacks globally as of 2019? The raised frequency of these attacks now guarantees there’s a ransomware attack somewhere online every fourteen seconds. In 2020, twenty-seven percent of every malware accident now included ransomware. That’s up from the twenty-four percent documented in 2019. Human comprehension and intelligence are the ideal protection against phishing attacks Thwarting phishing attacks comes down to user understanding and user behavior. It’s considered the ideal way to safeguard a business against some of the typical hacking tactics. The US FBI documented a 300% rise in reported cybercrimes since the coronavirus As if the COVID-19 was not frightening enough, cyber hackers leveraged the chance to attack vulnerable networks as office work shifted to personal homes. The US FBI documented 12,377 covid-related scams as of this summer. 95% of cybersecurity breaches are because of human error Cyber hackers and criminals will infiltrate your organization through your weakest link, nearly never in the IT department. Over 77% of companies don’t have a cybersecurity incident response plan Fifty-four percent of organizations found out they have encountered one or more attacks within the last twelve months. 9.7 million healthcare records were jeopardized in September 2020 alone Eighty-three breaches were connected to IT or hacking incidents, and 9,662820 records were exposed. There’s no doubt that the cybersecurity sector is quickly growing each day. However, the sector’s nature still has a long way to go before catching up with these threats. That’s especially true even though more resources are being used to fight cyberattacks.
Know the Difference: Data Privacy, Protection, and Security
One thing is for sure: data privacy, data protection, and data security all play an important role in keeping sensitive information safe. However, did you know each of them have their unique characteristics and goals? For companies collecting or handling data, privacy, security, and protection of that data should be taken seriously. They are major concerns when undertaking safeguarding sensitive data like health records, finances, and identities. Without them, cybercriminals and hackers would have access to massive amounts of potentially damaging data. Nevertheless, not everybody understands or recognizes the difference between data privacy, data protection, and data security. Hence, the terms are often utilized improperly and confused at the same time. So, what are data privacy, data protection, and data security? The Definitions Even though these terms are often used interchangeably, you will find key differences among these three. What is Data Privacy? Data privacy is determined as the proper use of data. When merchants or organizations use information or data given or entrusted to them, the data must be used according to the agreed uses. The Federal Trade Commission imposes penalties against organizations that have negated to guarantee the privacy of customers’ data. There are cases when organizations have rented, disclosed, or rented volumes of the consumer data entrusted to them to other parties without getting prior consent. Failing to consider data privacy could have a bad consequence on a business’ reputation. Two of three organizations say they experience sales delays due to data privacy issues from customers. Data privacy laws determine a privacy violation as the unauthorized access or retrieval of data related to an individual. A basic data privacy policy typically creates the type of data a concerned party gathers, how they use it, whether that data is shared with other parties, or how long they want to keep the gathered data. What is Data Protection? Data protection is how a business or person protects their data. It concentrates on keeping the data assets safe from any unauthorized malicious use. Data protection is composed of technical measures and methods that guarantee the confidentiality and integrity of data. What is Data Security? Meanwhile, data security is often referred to as the integrity, accessibility, and confidentiality of data. In short, it is all the processes and practices in place to make sure data is not being accessed or used by unauthorized parties or people. Data security guarantees the data is reliable and precise and is accessible when those with authorized access need it. Remember that a data security plan is composed of facets like gathering only the needed data, keeping it safe, and destroying any data that is no longer required. Such steps will help any organization meet the legal duties of owning sensitive data. Major Differences You will find a certain degree of overlap between data privacy, data protection, and data security. However, there are also major differences between them as well. Data Privacy vs. Data Protection Data protection is all about protecting data against unauthorized access. You see, data privacy is all about authorized access—the person who has it and defines it. One way to look at it is this: data protection is a technical concern while data privacy is legal. Such differences matter as they are made deeply into the overarching concerns of cybersecurity and privacy, both of which loom big in culture, politics, and businesses. For sectors subject to compliance standards, they will find vital legal implications connected with privacy laws and ensure data protection might not adhere to each needed compliance standard. Data Security vs. Data Privacy The ideal way to understand the distinction between data security and data privacy is to consider the mechanisms utilized in data privacy versus the security policy governing how data is collected, managed, and stored. You see, enterprise security data could be robust and efficient. However, the methods by which that data was collected, stored, and distributed may violate the privacy policy. For instance, a company might make sure that sensitive data is masked, encrypted, and properly limited to authorized access only. However, if it gathers the data incorrectly, like failing to get informed approval from the owner before the data collection, data privacy requirements have been violated, although data security stays not breached. Data Protection vs. Data Security The differentiation is based on the other sense of data protection that concentrates on keeping the data safe for access. In that context, data security concentrates on keeping the data safe from any form of wicked exploitation. Meanwhile, data protection could be associated to keeping the data safe so it stays accessible. Data security handles the database protection from any actions or forces, which can be harmful to the database. It’s securing the data from the availability of unauthorized users. Data protection can be utilized in two contexts. It could be utilized like data security, where it’s safeguarding the data from being accessed by unauthorized users. Further, data protection might also be used for safeguarding the data from the authorized user’s viewpoint, allowing the data to be accessed easily later. Bottom Line To sum up, while data security, data protection, and data privacy are interconnected, you will find different ways to address both. As a reminder, data privacy complies with federal and local laws within and outside the industry to guarantee the data you are collecting and the processes behind collecting and what you do with that data is following the law. Data security concentrates on the technology and tools needed to dissuade cybercriminals from getting their hands on the data. Ultimately, data protection is privacy and security combined. All three are incredibly crucial. Now that you understood the definition and differences of these three, you can better grasp why you should protect sensitive data. Remember that keeping confidential data safe from illegal or unauthorized use means paying attention to data protection, data privacy, and data security. We hope this article helped you point in the right direction. What are your thoughts about this post? 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Data Goldmines: How Your Data Is Bought and Sold
Keep in mind: not all on the dark web is illegal. However, it’s a massive marketplace for stolen personal information and data. When a hacking incident or data breach occurred, personal data is often bought and sold on the dark web by identity thieves seeking to make money off your good name. Different Ways Your Data is Used Right Now Whenever you ask a search engine a question or every time you share a meme with a friend on social media, the information you share is being saved, collected, and distributed. You possibly do not give it enough thought, but your data could end up in numerous unexpected places. Below are some ways your online data is being utilized today. Websites utilize it for internal research Most sites use their users’ data to perform internal research. They might investigate the links you click in, the time you spend on a specific page, the media you share to optimize everyone’s user experience. Your online behavior might also lead to changes to a website’s design or help encourage new features. Apps utilize it to peek into your whereabouts Do you have a smartphone? There’s a high chance you are sharing data without even noticing it. Many download applications monitor your whereabouts even if you are not actively using such programs. It is not only the location-based apps such as maps that record location information, but also social media apps, games, and utilities such as flashlights trace users’ locations. A study discovered that smartphone users who used an array of phone apps for two weeks had their location documented at least 5,000 times in only fourteen days. Insurance firms assess it Insurance firms have been sought to buy and analyze your online data, using it to set premiums and rates. A few firms might even go as far as to snoop to a customer’s social media pages to deny or confirm claims. Social media networks use it to help you find friends Did you know that social media sites use the data you share, including your current location, school, job, and hometown, to connect you to people you might know? They also utilize your current social network—people you have connected with online—to find common connections. Companies sell your data Your data is much valuable than you think. You may not know it yet, but there’s an economy in place to buy and sell your online data. Further, data brokers collect your online information—everything from your name and address to your general internet activity and income—and sell it to other businesses and brokers. Thieves use it to steal your identity Some of the activities mentioned so far might be quite creepy, but they are all legal. However, you will find other ways your data could be utilized illegally. Fraudsters can use your personal data your share online and steal your overall identity, using your credit card details and name to make purchases of their own. It is nearly not possible not to put any of that data online. However, you should be extra mindful of what websites you use and ensure your passwords are secure to prevent your stolen data. Types of Information Available & Its Price You may be thinking about how much your data worth to these cybercriminals is. Well, brace yourself because the answer may shock you. Different pieces of information may be more important to cybercriminals, and it will vary on different factors. Below are the most typical pieces of information bought and sold on the dark web and the standard range of what they are worth: Medical records: $1 to $1,000 Passports: $1,000 to $2,000 Driver’s license: $20 Diplomas: $100 to $400 Subscription services: $1 to $10 Loyalty accounts: $20 Online payment services login info (such as PayPal): $20 to $200 Credit or debit card (credit cards being the most common): $5 to $110 With bank information: $15 With CVV number: $5 With Fullz info: $30 (This is a bundle of information that is composed of a full package for fraudsters, including name, birthday, SSN, account numbers, which make them desirable) Social Security Number: $1 How Are These Pieces of Information Bought? You will find different procedures a personal data is bought and sold on the dark web: Buy data as a one-off, like a SS number Buy bulk information, batches of the same information type Buy bundled information. It is often referred to as the premium package for identity thieves as it comprises different information bundled together Factors that Contributes to the Price of Personal Data You will find various factors driving the price of data bought and sold on the dark web. This includes the following: Limits or the capability to reuse the data It is more valuable to fraudsters if something has a greater limit or could be reused multiple times. On the other hand, personal data with low limits to steal or use could be leveraged after it’s less valuable. Account balance The higher the amount that can be acquired, the higher the price of that stolen data. That’s especially true whether dollar values or points in an account. Data supply The economic principle of supply and demand applies to fraudsters buying and selling stolen data. When there’s a low supply of specific data accessible for purchase, that data is more valuable to criminals. Data type and demand for the specific data As stated, various types of information could bring various monetary values. Practices to Protect Yourself This might look scary or overwhelming. However, you must be aware of what’s happening so you can safeguard yourself. Data breaches are on the rise and out of your control. Ensure you exercise good habits for your personal data, such as keeping healthy password practices and stopping from sharing your personal data unless needed. You should also ensure you keep your software updates and antivirus software on every device current, as those updates may have important security patches that are integral to safeguarding your data.
