{"id":21122,"date":"2021-09-09T14:41:43","date_gmt":"2021-09-09T18:41:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.psafe.com\/en\/blog\/?p=21122"},"modified":"2022-04-27T14:00:57","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T18:00:57","slug":"have-you-already-been-the-victim-of-a-data-leak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.psafe.com\/en\/blog\/have-you-already-been-the-victim-of-a-data-leak\/","title":{"rendered":"Have you already been the victim of a data leak?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s what you need to know…and do.<\/b><\/h3>\n

Data breaches \u2014 even among major platforms and providers \u2014 are becoming an almost daily occurrence. With so much of our life and business being carried out online, and the multitude of devices and platforms we use to work, shop, and play, the \u201cattack surface\u201d for hackers grows (much) larger every minute. Even the biggest and best-run companies and platforms have become favorite targets for hackers. So much so, that attacks on well-known companies and platforms have become almost commonplace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a double danger in data leaks becoming so common,\u201d<\/b> says Emilio Simonis, Research Director at PSafe\u2019s dfndr lab. \u201cFirst, of course, are the attacks themselves \u2014 but as they become more ubiquitous, many people start to take them for granted, and assume they pose only modest personal danger.\u201d Significant lag time between the breach-event itself, and subsequent criminal action on the part of hackers, also contributes to the lack of decisive response. \u201cHackers are very patient \u2014 they know many victims won\u2019t take immediate action to protect themselves,\u201d Simoni remarks, \u201cand they use that aspect of human nature to their advantage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Try dfndr security today<\/a><\/strong>, it will help you secure your phone and protect your data from hackers and malware of all kinds.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

How do breaches happen?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Just as hackers use their knowledge of human nature to design their scams,<\/strong> they also rely on human error to create openings they need to get at private data. Poor passwords and weak credentialing processes are probably the most common source of breaches, and lost or stolen (and unprotected) laptops and drives also contribute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phishing scams, enticing recipients to give up data voluntarily, have never flagged in popularity. Malware is also a common method, and is often combined with phishing techniques to get at personal and financial data stores. \u201cIncreasingly, these attacks are targeted at corporate assets, so employees must remain vigilant,\u201d Simoni warns, \u201cespecially now, as so many people are using devices from their home to connect to work.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malware and ransomware have become a more favored method as many users have become used to \u201cshopping by downloading\u201d \u2014 trying out free versions of new software solutions before deciding if they want to keep a new app or game. Malware often asks for extensive permissions, then quietly works behind the scenes with the permissions it has accrued, logging data and\u00a0 building up significant data-leverage, before shipping that information payload off, or using it to launch further attacks on the user.

External, code-driven attacks are also growing more common than ever.<\/strong> Often called \u201cbrute force attacks,\u201d these are now guided by increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence, and very powerful computers, to crack weaker protections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What information do they target?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hackers have a wide-open market for the information they steal, and generally they\u2019re after Personal Identification Information that most individuals and companies (and laws) seek to protect. Of course they also seek information like bank and credit card account information that gives them immediate financial leverage. The worst nightmare for individuals is when a hacker is able to transact business as their victim through identity theft. Identity theft can be very complicated to undo, and the process of undoing the damage wrought by an identity theft can be protracted and painful. \u201cHackers are keenly aware of the leverage that personal identifying information gives them,\u201d Simoni cautions, \u201cthey know how to make the most of it, and rarely show any restraint once they have the upper hand.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can you do?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Major breaches are on the rise and show no signs of tailing off. That\u2019s the bad news.  \u201cThe good news,\u201d Simoni observes, \u201cis that protecting yourself is still something that you have a lot of control over individually.. It\u2019s something you can do well with some simple habits and tools.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe recommend taking three fundamental precautions to all of our customers,\u201d says Simoni. \u201cMake sure you adopt best-practices for your passwords, use two-factor-authentication whenever you can, and use a solution like dfndr security Pro <\/strong>for immediate notice if your personal data has been accessed outside of your control. Our Pro solution also scans new apps to prevent malware attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour phone itself can also be a target,\u201d Simoni advises, \u201cwhich is why dfndr security Pro has the capability to shut your phone down for use, and show you its location, in case of theft. \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best practices for passwords include the following: <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n