Criminals are stealing data in order to use personal information for identify theft scams. According to the latest ISTR 20 report there was a 23% increase in the number of data breaches in 2014. Cyber criminals were found to look for the following (in order number of breaches exposing the data):
- Real names
- Government ID information (e.g. SSN)
- Home addresses
- Financial information
- Birth dates
- Medical records
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses
- User name/password combinations
- Insurance details
Hackers often make use of system vulnerabilities, or rather users' reluctance to update software with latest security patches, weak passwords SQL injections and targeted malware attacks, to glean information.
SQL injections install malware onto a device without the user doing anything proactive. Targeted malware attacks usually come as a result of phishing campaigns - whereby the user is deceived into revealing personal information about themselves or downloads malware via a suspect link.
How to Protect Data?
Users are advised to use strong passwords for each account, avoid replicating passwords - that is how multiple breaches happen on the back of one slip up. Utilities such as LastPass Password Manager assist in keeping track of the various passwords.Keeping abreast of financial accounts, monitoring often, should allow users to act quickly should there be any suspicious activity. This will minimize any initial losses and allow for a quicker resolution. Users are also advised to sign up for any text message notification alerts for transactions - they are more secure than email.
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