In an increasingly digitalized world, our personal data is the new gold. Companies use them to deliver personalized advertising, better understand their customers' needs and improve their products. But what happens if this data falls into the wrong hands? Misuse of personal information can have devastating effects on our lives, from identity theft to reputational damage.

What is personal data?

Personal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. This includes name, address, phone number, email address, social security number, date of birth, gender, ethnicity, political views, religious beliefs, medical information and more.

The European Commission gives the following examples of personal data:

  • Name and first name;
  • a home address;
  • an email address such as firstname.lastname@company.com;
  • an ID number;
  • Location data (e.g. the location function on mobile phones)*;
  • an IP address;
  • a cookie identifier*;
  • your phone's advertising identifier;
  • Data held by a hospital or doctor that could lead to the unique identification of a natural person. ( Source )

How can personal data be misused?

Personal information can be misused in many ways. A common example is identity theft, where criminals steal a person's personal information to apply for loans in their name, open accounts, or even commit crimes. Personal information can also be used to carry out targeted phishing attacks or to send spam emails. In some cases, companies may also share or sell personal information without the consent of those affected.

What can we do to protect our personal information?

There are several measures we can take to protect our personal information. This includes using strong passwords, checking bank statements regularly and using secure Wi-Fi networks. It is also important that we only share our personal information with trustworthy companies and that we learn about those companies' privacy policies. If we suspect that our personal information has been misused, we should immediately contact the appropriate authorities to take further action.

Questions and answers on the topic: personal data

The most common causes of personal data misuse are hacker attacks, phishing attacks, malware infections and human error.

Companies can keep personal information safe by implementing secure IT infrastructure, using secure databases, implementing strict access and control mechanisms, and conducting regular training for employees.

The most valuable personal information to cybercriminals is account information, credit card information, social security numbers, and medical information.

Parents can protect their children from misuse of their personal information by ensuring they are only exposed to trusted websites and apps, reviewing the privacy of the services their children use, and monitoring their use of social media platforms.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is an EU regulation that regulates the protection of personal data in the EU. It ensures that companies take the protection of personal data seriously and take appropriate measures to ensure that this data is kept secure.

Credit card fraud and identity theft can be prevented by not publicly sharing sensitive information such as credit card information and Social Security numbers, using strong passwords, and conducting regular checks of one's account and credit reports.

Social engineering methods such as Some threats, such as phishing attacks and fake websites, can lead to cybercriminals gaining access to personal information. This can lead to identity theft, financial loss, and other negative consequences.

The Dark Web is a part of the Internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines and where illegal activities such as trading in stolen personal information take place. Personal information can be sold on the dark web, which can lead to identity theft and other forms of abuse.

Companies can ensure customer privacy by implementing privacy policies, using secure IT infrastructure, implementing access controls, and conducting regular employee training. They should also ensure that they only collect the data they need and only use that data for the stated purpose.

A password manager is software that allows users to generate and store strong and unique passwords for different online accounts. This can help protect personal information by allowing users to use strong passwords and not repeat them across multiple accounts.

Bottom line: Our personal information is invaluable and it is important that we are aware of how it can be used and misused. By educating ourselves about how to protect our personal information, we can protect ourselves from the negative effects of misuse of our information. Ultimately, however, it is also the responsibility of companies and governments to ensure that personal data is adequately protected and is not shared or sold without the consent of those affected.

Also read: Warning about malicious email attachments with .one and .html


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )