In today’s day and age, data breaches are common, and you likely hear about them nearly every day on the news. But recently, a major data breach occurred that should make you think twice about what information you’re sharing online.
Given the nickname “The Mother of All Breaches,” this data breach stole information from over 26 billion records, mostly from sites like LinkedIn, Adobe, Canva, Dropbox, and Telegram. As one of the largest data leaks ever recorded, all of the stolen information was found on a publicly accessible webpage.
When ransomware attacks, like this recent data breach, occur, there are two kinds of extortion that happen. In some cases, the criminals will either target or disable the company’s digital infrastructure and then demand payment to fix it. In others, they will take sensitive information and then make threats to release it on the dark web.
While most people are not spending time hunting the dark web for leaked information, you should assume that at least some of your personal data is already out there. For the most severe types of attacks, credit monitoring services can help prevent financial issues and attempts at identity theft.
The best thing you can do to protect your personal data and information is to practice good “cyber hygiene.” When creating new passwords, make sure they are complex and that you change them on a regular basis. Never click on suspicious leaks in emails, and always enable two-factor or multifactor authentication on your accounts. You should also never repeat passwords on your accounts.
Unfortunately, ransomware attacks and data breaches are simply consequences of living in a highly technological society. While you may not be able to fully protect your data online, taking steps to preserve your information is the best way forward right now.