I recently received a letter in the mail from my local hospital. They informed me that my information was hacked from their data center. This is a common problem with the increasing threat of bad actors. One would think a large company would have some of the best security in place. However, that was not the case because my data is now out there on the dark web.
What’s happening to my data and the other tens of thousands is very simple. The bad actors sell it in bundles to whoever pays the most.
Who buys your data? This can be legitimate marketing companies or organizations that steal your identity. They will open credit cards in your name and destroy your credit for the foreseeable future. Imagine not only your credit score falling but your reputation. Many jobs now require a good credit score.
The World Wide Web is a treasure trove of information. Try searching your name and you’ll see what I mean. Now add an email address, phone number, and social security number. I think you get my point. Social media has made it possible for the bad actors to take the stolen data you put a face to it. We freely give up our location and those associated with us. Our family friends and likes and dislikes. One doesn’t have to dig deep to create a profile on us.
What can you do to prevent your data from hitting the dark web? Unfortunately, it’s not up to you because your online presence is not yours to control. Hospitals, doctors, dentists, credit card companies, and marketing companies all have our information stored in their databases. From the day we are conceived to the day of our death we leave a digital trail. There is no way to prevent this in the modern world. Scary yes I know!
However, you can reduce your online presence and harden your footprint. How can you do this? It’s easier than you might think. One thing you can do right now is make yourself a new email account. This account will be strictly used as a trash email account. You’ll use this email address for things that are not critical information. You don’t even have to use your real name. Use an allis you want. Now you have an email address to give people you don’t trust. For example, register to win a new car. Or stores to send ads and recipes. Separating your email accounts to filter out spam and non-important information will reduce the spam in your main email account. I did this year’s ago and it’s helped me weed out the scams. How do you ask? When I received an email asking from my bank to “confirm my information” in the junk email I admittedly knew it was a fake.
Email accounts are widely available for free. Make as many as you want. Use them to filter out the junk and hide your real identity. Now the hospital has my main email address you might say. Yes, that is true. How can I protect my main email address?
For starters only give your main email address for important information. For communication purposes and with people you trust. Set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all your email accounts. If you don’t know what this is Google it. I suggest you set MFA to a cell phone, not another email account.
Another thing you can do is to purchase a good Antivirus that scans your emails. For a small investment, it’s worth it. I can help you find the best solution for your needs. I use a business-class Antivirus myself. Internet security software can help you stay safe while you are surfing the web.
Be careful what you download and who you are downloading it from. For example, free antivirus from the internet is mostly malware in disguise. Make sure you go directly to the manufacturer’s website. The URL should include https the “s” indicating secured.
Know thy enemy. Lastly, get educated about your enemy. Keep up-to-date about the current scams and data breaches. Watch the news and read more about this subject. My blog is a good start and I thank you for reading it. I listen to security podcasts and attend webinars regularly to keep myself current. Use a free Dark Web scanner like “HaveIBeenPwned” to find leaked passwords and email addresses. Dark Web monitoring services can be a great asset. It can send notifications if any of your sensitive information is leaked. They can also provide alerts and steps to take to protect your information.
All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have data breach notification laws. These laws require businesses or governments to notify consumers or citizens if their personal information is breached. Organizations must notify affected individuals and the media within 60 days of discovering a breach. If fewer than 500 people were affected, the FTC must be notified within 60 days after the end of the calendar year. Failing to do so can result in heavy fines and penalties and an investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
If your business has experienced a data breach you can report it at one of the links below.
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/data-breach-response-guide-business
HIPAA COMPLIANCE:
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/breach-notification/breach-reporting/index.html
Common data breach exposures include personal information, such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and healthcare histories, as well as corporate information, such as customer lists and source code. As of 2023, the average cost of a data breach in the United States amounted to 9.48 million U.S. dollars, up from 9.44 million U.S. dollars in the previous year. The global average cost per data breach was 4.45 million U.S. dollars in 2023.
Check your email address below.
