The end of 2022 is almost here, and we are absolutely happy to let it go (it was awful, let’s be honest). This year was particularly rich in unpleasant cases of data breaches.
The internet was our shelter from the real world, a place where we could find a lot of entertaining things, communicate with new people without awkwardness, and learn more about the digital world. It still is, but now people not only having fun but building their business relations, selling products and services, deploy marketing ideas.
Like in the real world, there is always someone who wants to ruin, destroy, or steal from hard-working people. Envy, boredom, or:
Let’s take a look at some data breach cases in 2022.
Uber
The company suffered a cyber attack in September. By accessing Uber’s Slack cloud-based accounts, the attacker managed to stole information from their internal networks.
Red Cross
The Red Cross’s servers could not stand a hostile attack in January. The organization hosts 500,000 accounts with essential information that helps people to solve their problems caused by social or political instabilities.
One of the most popular discussion platforms ended up losing 5.4 million accounts that hackers managed to post for sale demanding $30,000. Phone numbers and email addresses of well-known people and companies leaked in July 2022.
Since the company went under Meta’s supervision, news about breaches or privacy flaws are haunting WhatsApp. In November, the database with 487 million users appeared on the dark web.
Signal
Signal’s vendors claimed the application to be the most secure communication messenger possible. Unfortunately, if your servers are public, sooner or later hackers would find a way to break through.
How to avoid data breaches?
The cases described above give us a clear picture of what to do to prevent such unpleasant events.
When working with cloud-based services, make sure your passwords are strong and regularly updated. Avoid sharing too much personal information on social media, because this is where it stops belonging to you only. Avoid suspicious emails with links — remember, a hacker can disguise as your company representative.
Also, keep your devices secured, and register in messengers carefully — usually they ask for a phone number.
Here are some tips on securing your phone: