Data Breaches: How Bad is the Risk and Where Does Your Data Go?

CommPRO Editorial Staff

Data breaches are something we hear about and see articles on in the press. But we’re not always touched by them directly if we have been lucky enough (so far) to not have our data stolen from a website. But for people who have previously been impacted by a data breach, then it’s another story entirely.

Data Breaches Are Now a Growing Problem

We hear about data breaches almost every week. It doesn’t just affect small companies with fewer resources to protect their customers’ information. The problem also affects larger companies like Equifax and Microsoft.

It seems that companies aren’t brilliant at protecting customer information including payment card details and social security numbers, which is a concern. 

Where Does Stolen Data Go and How Best to Protect Yourself?

The information stolen in website hacks is often resold to the highest bidder. Thieves use the Dark Web and online forums to offer packages of stolen customer information for money. Using the Dark Web makes them harder to track and with payments in cryptocurrency, it’s tougher to follow the money too.

It’s useful to seek protection on the internet by keeping your data away from prying eyes. Combining this by being more careful about which websites you entrust with your confidential information is also necessary.

Using residential proxy providers can hide your originating IP address when you go online, so each visit looks unique and from a new person. Not signing up with an account wherever possible also prevents data from being stored on websites that are subsequently hacked. A company like Smartproxy helps provide greater anonymity and security through their proxy services. 

Large Data Breaches in the Last Few Years

To better understand how severe the risks are to users, here are some of the more prominent security breach cases in the last few years. 

Wawa Convenience Stores

Wawa convenience stores discovered a data breach near the tail end of 2019 that originated back in March that same year. The malware had infected their point-of-sale terminals and it was believed that debit and credit card details of customers were stolen. While the stores promised free credit card monitoring for the affected customers across 950 store locations, that didn’t remove the worry, the inconvenience of having the cards replaced, or dealing with any fraudulent charges. 

DoorDash

Modern operators like DoorDash, which deals in fast-paced deliveries, are not immune from the difficulties in staying secure. They also experienced a security breach in 2019. Just under 5 million customers had information stolen but the company downplayed the risk, suggesting that the data leakage was insufficient to allow criminals to rack up fraudulent transactions. 

Capital One

Financial companies are also affected by problems with security. The Capital One Financial Corporation saw 100 million customers affected by a hack. Over 80,000 checking account numbers and the social security numbers for 140,000 customers were stolen. However, millions saw balance information, credit scoring, date of birth, email addresses and ZIP codes, income statements, and more lifted by data thieves.

Worse still, representatives couldn’t confirm whether the information stolen would be sufficient to complete erroneous transactions. Thieves often sell stolen customer information on the Dark Web or hacking-related forums to the highest bidder. 

And the Security Data Breaches Keep on Coming…

In 2020 and the first two months of 2021, the breaches have continued too. Microsoft, Walgreens, Carnival Cruise Lines, MGM Resorts, Estee Lauder, Landry’s, and many other companies suffered breaches, with stolen data and personal information now in the hands of bad actors.

What Information is Stolen in a Data Breach?

Billions of users embrace the internet in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and across Europe. Companies now store vast amounts of customer data. This information often includes full names, social security numbers, date of birth, banking information, debit or credit card information, and a host of other compromising data. 

The more data is held, the greater the risk that this will attract hackers who are intent on stealing it for profit. It’s terrifying because your private information can end up in the hands of criminals. If you’re wondering what the consequence of this is? Identify theft, unexpected banking transactions, and information leakage are all distinct possibilities.  

How to Protect Yourself?

As mentioned earlier, being more anonymous by using a proxy is helpful. Also, being mindful about what information is shared and with which companies are sensible steps too. 

Using unique passwords for every website is necessary to protect from their being stolen on one site and tested randomly on popular websites to see if you have an account there too. Using LastPass or 1Password are useful apps to store passwords where only a single master password must be remembered, and the app then logs into websites for you.

One security site that’s worth using is haveibeenpwned.com. This site allows you to enter an email address to confirm if it’s been previously included in a known security breach. While that won’t confirm if the email account password was leaked, it will indicate if your email address has ever been posted on forums and the Dark Web accessed by hackers and cybercriminals. At that point, it’s probably time to get a new email address with a fresh password.

In Conclusion

Data protection is increasingly important. All internet users need to be more careful about their data. This includes what information is provided through websites or apps to companies. Take protective steps to safeguard your privacy. Also, raise awareness with companies that keeping data more secure is a priority to customers and they need to make it a priority too.