Has your data been leaked? Find out if your email has been compromised
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The Internet often gives us the feeling of being a safe place and guaranteed anonymity, but due to carelessness related to the security of confidential data by users and even websites, it is common to hear the news that this data has been leaked. .
What is data leakage
data leak or Data Breach it's an attack hacker directed to the database of a website, company or bank, which exposes confidential information of individuals or legal entities. The purpose of this type of attack is to sell this data in the deep web, engaging in identity fraud or threatening victims.
The most commonly leaked information in this type of crime are:
- Customer information and contracted services;
- Emails and passwords;
- Bank data;
- Name, address and CPF of individuals;
- Business processes and contracts.
Criminals who practice this crime take advantage of the carelessness of Internet users, who often have inadequate practices regarding the security of their personal data and the information they consume online. Often, they also take advantage of flawed systems and security holes on the company's own website, practicing what is called a “cloud leak”, which is difficult to resolve.
How to find out if you are being a victim of this crime
Many internet users may be having their data leaked right now. The good news is that currently there are tools that help identify a possible leak, helping to solve the problem.
To illustrate the process we will use the Firefox Monitor, which uses your email address to find out which websites may have leaked your information.
After entering your email, the tool scans the internet. If it finds a website that has suffered a hacker attack, it checks if the user has had their email leaked and warns which data may have been compromised.
My data was leaked, now what?
The first thing to do when you notice that your data may have been compromised is to immediately change your main account and email passwords, especially those that may contain information such as: address, bank account and credit cards. Take the opportunity to delete this information if there is no need.
Enabling two-step authentication is also a great way to protect yourself.
At this point it is very important to remain calm, as this data has not always been used by someone and may just be vulnerable at the moment.
Chow to avoid future attacks
Prevention, however, remains the best medicine. And here are some tips to protect yourself while browsing the internet:
create strong passwords
The longer your password, the better. Whenever possible, combine unrelated words and replace letters with numbers or special characters like @, # or !, for example.
Avoid having passwords that are too similar and contain any personal information, as anyone who stalks you on social media can find out your dog's name, your birthday, or your mother's name.
Beware of Public Wi-Fi Networks
Wi-Fi networks in malls, stores, streets and restaurants have a much lower level of security, so they are vulnerable to attacks.
If you are in a situation where this is your only internet source, avoid using them to access shopping apps and your banking app.
Use VPN services
Use VPN services to mask your IP location, this keeps your online behavior private as well as encrypting your data.
be suspicious
Be wary of suspicious emails, lightning promotions and messages asking for your passwords, no serious company asks for your data that way. When in doubt, please contact us directly.
The internet often erroneously refers to an environment of security and anonymity, but it is very easy to get careless and end up falling into cyber traps, so it is very important to stay tuned and updated.
And you, have you ever been through a cybernetic perrengue? Tell us how it went!
Want to know more about online data? Read: How a web data collection tool works
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