Or, put differently: how does private data become public? With the growth of online services, internet users have grown accustomed to entrusting their personal data to a wide range of providers. And although website security has improved over the years, it is still worth thinking carefully about which online store we trust with our credit card details.
Protecting personal data begins with each of us. As we use the web and its many online services, we leave behind a broad digital trail of personal data — collected (mostly) beyond our control by online service providers, or published online voluntarily by ourselves. There are, of course, also online services that require us to disclose certain personal information in exchange for their use. This data often includes:
- Your first and last name,
- Your home address,
- Gender and age,
- Contact details, such as email addresses and phone numbers,
- Payment information (credit cards, PayPal, bank account details, …),
- Other personal data related to the use of a specific online service.
The vast majority of providers that require your personal data in order to use their services do ensure the security and privacy of that data. With the adoption of the GDPR, which requires providers offering online services to citizens of EU member states to meet higher standards of personal data protection, website security has also visibly improved. Even so, online service providers remain among the most popular targets for cybercriminals. An estimated 43% of cyberattacks are said to be aimed at smaller online stores, for example.
And what does this mean for internet users? It means there is a strong likelihood that our data has already ended up in one of the databases that cybercriminals have published online following a successful cyberattack. Naturally, all the data you provide to an online service provider is stored on the provider's systems — and many providers make one critical mistake: they store it unencrypted. This means that anyone with access to your data (the provider or cybercriminals) can read your personal information freely. And if, after a successful breach, cybercriminals publish your personal data online in unencrypted form, anyone with an internet connection can access it.
So how can we protect ourselves against this kind of personal data abuse? Once we hand our personal data over to an online service provider, it is too late — at that point we lose control over its security. That is why it is important to give some thought to a website's security before submitting any data at all.
At first glance, a website's security is difficult to judge. That is why we have prepared a few warning signs to look out for before leaving your data on a website:
- Always check first that you are on the right website. Verify that the address in the URL bar is correct — and pay particular attention to the spelling!
- Heed the security indicators your web browser provides. These include the padlock icon next to the URL bar, the security warning displayed when the browser does not trust a website, and the various visual cues shown alongside individual links.
- Use one of the free tools for a quick security check of a website. One of the more popular and accurate ones is offered by VirusTotal.
- Stay alert to the possibility of online scams. Offers that seem too good to be true, unusually steep discounts, or promises of high earnings are the most common signs of online fraud.
With just a few simple steps, you will significantly reduce the risk of your personal data suddenly becoming publicly accessible. In the best case, exposure merely means more junk mail in your inbox; but if you are a person in the public eye, it can trigger a wave of targeted cyberattacks against you.
Since most of us were already using the web at a time when digital hygiene was not yet a widely discussed topic, our digital footprint is also larger than we would like. And this is where we can help. Contact us, and we will be glad to assist you in finding your personal data and removing it from places it does not belong.
