It makes sense that you might be worried about your data in light of recent news articles.
On Tuesday, the UK’s election monitoring body disclosed that it had been the target of a “complex cyber-attack” that might have potentially affected millions of votes.
Additionally, it was discovered that police officers’ personal information in Northern Ireland was unintentionally published.
However, what can you do if you think your data may have been compromised and how can you avoid problems?
How secure are my data?
In general, public agencies like the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) should remove any identifying information when responding to FOIA requests.
However, in this instance, the force unintentionally publicised private information, which caused some officers and their families to worry about their safety.A typical person who is impacted by a data breach or attack, though, shouldn’t become anxious.
The Electoral Commission has apologised to people impacted by the cyberattack on UK voters, but notes on its website that the data it has access to is “limited, and much of it is already in the public domain.”
The Information Commissioner’s Office, the data regulator, states that the personal information contained in electoral records, typically name and address, does not in and of itself pose a major risk to individuals.
This information could be used in conjunction with other pieces of information about you, such what you post on social media, to identify you, but doing so takes a lot of work, and cybercriminals typically only target people who are well-known.
Many of these details will already be available to the public online, unless you have chosen not to have your name included on the open electoral register.
There are websites that will inform you if your email was a part of a known data breach if you are worried about a different data breach and believe your information may have been compromised.To check this, the Electoral Commission expressly advises using the free internet site Have I Been Pwned (sic).
What can I do to protect my data?
It makes sense to update your password for an account if you think it may have been compromised.
However, you should be careful not to click on any links in emails that suggest doing this because they can be scams. Instead, go to the website normally and reset your password there.This is another reason why it’s crucial to have unique passwords for each account.
A future hack is less likely to adversely impact you if you consistently use different log-in credentials because the hackers won’t be able to utilise your data for anything other than accessing the one service you used.To prevent data loss, consumers should also take extra precautions online.
87% of all frauds, according to recent Barclays data published on Wednesday, occur on tech platforms including dating apps, social media, and online marketplaces.
It claims that these scams are becoming more prevalent and calls for some of the responsibility to fall on tech platforms.
“We risk enabling the unchecked growth of what is now the most prevalent crime in the UK, hurting countless individuals and costing our economy billions each year,” warns Barclays CEO Matt Hammerstein. “Without the joint help of tech organizations , the Government, and regulators.”
Our research demonstrates that the majority of frauds now originate from internet platforms, primarily social media. However, unlike banks, which should be the case, there is currently no statutory or regulatory framework requiring the IT industry to promote the prevention of these crimes.
But you can take a few easy precautions to keep safe online, which can help protect your information and your bank account.
These include creating secure passwords for each website you visit, avoiding emails from strangers, and exercising caution while browsing new websites.