In all, data is a kind of currency in of itself because it has the potential to unlock several aspects of victim’s life, each with its own monetary value. It’s no wonder that big breaches like these have made the news over the years, with some of the notables including:įacebook – 2019: Two sets of data exposed the records of more than 530 million users, including phone numbers, account names, and Facebook IDs. Examples of data breaches over the recent years Either way, this can lead to illicit use of credit and debit cards, draining of bank accounts, claiming tax refunds or medical expenses in the names of the victims, or, in extreme cases, assuming the identity of others altogether. Apart from using it themselves, they may sell that data to other criminals. What do crooks do with that data? Several things.

Credit and debit card numbers or bank account details.Contact information for friends and family members.Depending on the breach and the kind of information you’ve shared with the business or organization in question, information stolen in a breach could include: Whether it’s a major breach that exposes millions of records or one of many other smaller-scale breaches like the thousands that have struck healthcare providers , each one serves as a reminder that data breaches happen regularly and that we could find ourselves affected. In other words, we leave trails of data practically wherever we go these days, and that data is of high value to hackers. Thus, all those breaches we read about. How does that information get collected in the first place? We share personal information with companies for multiple reasons simply by going about our day-to pay for takeout at our favorite restaurant, to check into a hotel, or to collect rewards at the local coffee shop. Of course, we use our credit and debit cards too, sometimes as part of an online account that tracks our purchase history. You read the headline in the news or receive an email from a company you do business with-there’s been a data breach, and your information may have been involved. Luckily, there are immediate steps you can take in response.

Email breach check