Cyberattacks, online scams, data leaks are all appearing to become part of consequence of our constant engagement with digital platforms and being on the internet for our daily activity. No matter how well secure the platforms tells us they are, there will never promise that its 100 percent.
In a statement released by security firm Kaspersky, the re-emergence of Facebook users’ personal data that was previously leaked highlights how the impact of a data breach transcends the limits of time. This imparts upon us the valuable lesson that what is lost will be lost forever. With access to phone numbers, user IDs, full names and even email addresses, cybercriminals have a fertile ground from which they can launch multiple cyberattacks in the form of phishing scams , social engineering attacks as well as break into an organisation’s IT systems to deploy ransomware.
While we come to live with a possibly if such eventuality the key is how to react from such a situation, from a business standpoint the firm calls for communication being key, as choosing the right spokespeople, informing customers in a prompt and truthful manner will help an organisation regain their public goodwill and trust as quickly as possible. Beyond that, it is equally important to get the business continuity plan right by ensuring any vulnerabilities are patched and software upgraded to prevent further leaks.
As with most things, cybersecurity takes two hands to clap and any effort to mitigate the impact of data breaches will also require the proactive effort of consumers who have been affected. Apart from changing passwords and running an effective antivirus solution, knowing how to respond if an identity is stolen will help prevent cybercriminals from exploiting the data further.
As soon as you discover unauthorised access into your accounts, get in touch with your service provider to update them immediately so that you will not be held liable for anything that happens. In this instance where old personal data has resurfaced online, one can hedge against the long-term consequences of identify theft by monitoring ones financial activity as this remains a perennial area of interest for many cybercriminals.
