Data theft describes a scenario where a cybercriminal collects, replicates, or shares sensitive data, usually for malicious purposes or for profit. It can happen in various ways, including insider attacks, cyberattacks, or physical theft of data storage devices.
The stolen data can contain sensitive data such as financial records and trade secrets and can even hold enough importance to cause financial and reputational damage.
Examples of data theft
- Phishing attacks: Hackers can use phishing attacks to steal sensitive data from unsuspecting victims. The phishing attack often takes the form of fraudulent websites and emails which the cybercriminals use to trick users into sharing private details like online banking login data.
- Insider threats: Hackers getting access from the outside is only one of the possible threats. A spy, a disgruntled employee or colleague can steal the data and trade it for profit.
- Physical theft: If the data is stored in physical drives, the thieves just find a way to steal the storage devices instead.
How to stop data theft
- Ensure you use unique, complex passwords and avoid repeating the same one for every account. Also, if the hackers somehow guess your password, setting up multi-factor authentication is a great extra measure.
- Install a premium VPN to encrypt your traffic and sensitive data.
- Ensure your operating system and software are frequently updated to keep up with threats.
- Cultivate healthy cybersecurity practices to stay safe and reduce human error.
