What is a privacy violation?

Privacy breaches are when personal information is not properly secured. This can lead to financial loss or identity theft, as well as harm to organizations, resulting in a loss of reputation and erosion of customer trust.

What privacy risks do I face?

Individuals are exposed to many privacy threats in the digital age. The following privacy breach risks are common:

1. Data breach: Unauthorized access to or theft of personal data from companies or organisations.
2. Phishing scams: These emails or messages appear to come from a trusted source and trick people into giving out their login credentials or personal information.
3. Privacy on social media: Sharing personal information via social media platforms that can be accessed or used to malicious ends.
4. Location tracking: This is the tracking of an individual’s position through their devices. It can reveal sensitive information or be used for criminal purposes.
5. Unsecured Wi Fi networks: Personal information can be intercepted by connecting to unsecure Wi-Fi networks.
6. Malicious software: Downloading attachments or installing software from unknown sources can result in malware installation that can harm computers or steal personal information.

These privacy risks are important and you should be aware of them.

What Happens When Data is Leaked?

Data breaches can occur in many ways.

1. Hacking: Hackers have many methods of gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data. They can exploit vulnerabilities in software or use malware to crack passwords.
2. Insider threats: Data breaches may occur when contractors or employees with sensitive information have access to it and misuse it, either inadvertently or intentionally.
3. Devices stolen or lost: Laptops, smartphones and other devices that contain sensitive information can be stolen or lost.
4. Human error: Data breaches may occur when people make mistakes such as sending sensitive data to the wrong person, or leaving sensitive data in an unsecure location.
5. Databases that aren’t properly secured: Unsecured databases can lead to data breaches.
6. Social engineering: Attackers can use social engineering techniques, such as pretexting or phishing scams, to trick people into divulging sensitive information.

Organizations should have security measures in place to prevent data breaches. They also need a plan for dealing with breaches that do occur. Individuals can take steps to secure their personal information by using strong passwords and being careful of phishing attempts.

9 ways to protect yourself from a privacy breach

Here are 9 steps to protect yourself if you suspect your personal data has been compromised by a privacy breach.

1. Change passwords: You should change passwords on any accounts that were affected by the breach. For each account, use strong passwords that are unique.
2. Monitoring your accounts: Monitor your bank, credit card and other financial accounts regularly for any suspicious transactions.
3. To place a fraud alarm on your credit report, contact one of the major credit bureaus (Experian Equifax or TransUnion). It will be more difficult for someone else to open new accounts under your name.
4. A credit freeze is a blocking of credit reports that makes it harder for anyone to open new accounts under your name.
5. Phishing attempts should be avoided
6. Two-factor authentication is recommended: If possible, use two-factor authentication to protect your online accounts.
7. You can monitor your Social Security Number: Seek out if you have used your Social Security Number to apply for credit cards or other services.
8. Contact companies: If a company or organization is responsible for the privacy breach, contact them to find out if they offer any support or services to affected persons.

Be educated: Keep up-to-date about privacy issues and ways to protect yourself. Register for privacy-related newsletters and read online privacy guides.