Hackers have access to the data of millions of people after a cyber attack on telecom provider Odido. How do you avoid becoming a victim of cybercrime if your data has been leaked?
If customer data is published, it increases the chance that it will be misused. Then anyone with access to the dark web can access this data, including criminals with bad intentions.
“The more personal data cyber criminals have, the easier they can gain people’s trust,” says teacher Sander Ebbers. He gives lectures in the field of cyber safety, or online safety, at the Thorbecke Academy in Assen.
With leaked data, criminals can try to deceive people via email, text message, WhatsApp or a phone call by pretending to be from the government, a bank or other organization.
According to Ebbers, the combination of this type of data helps criminals to appear credible. He warns not to react hastily if an email or phone call doesn’t feel right: “Be alert if you are unexpectedly asked for your personal information or to change your password.”
“If you are unsure whether someone who calls you really works at the bank, for example, ask if they can call you back later. Then you can look up the official telephone number yourself and call it to see if everything is correct.” You can also check unexpected emails by checking for spelling errors and looking at what is behind the ‘@’ sign of an email address. Ebbers advises against hastily sharing sensitive information or clicking on links.
Odido says no passwords were stolen. However, Ebbers advises you to always change your passwords if your data has been stolen in a data breach. “Also add two-factor authentication if possible. And if you are very concerned, you can also request a different email address and telephone number, but that takes a lot of time and effort.”
Furthermore, Ebbers emphasizes that preventing cybercrime is mainly the responsibility of companies. “Many companies are data hungry. They want to collect as much data as possible to promote new products in a targeted manner.”
But that data also makes them open to blackmail. “If companies collect less data and adhere to the rules regarding the retention and deletion of data, they are less interesting for hackers,” Ebbers concludes.
