Protecting your online privacy: why it matters and how to safeguard your data
Have you ever wondered how all these random companies spamming and calling you got your phone number, email, name, and other info? Or why the ads are sometimes getting (too) targeted? Or have you ever received fraud alert notices on your credit card?
Unfortunately, data breaches are way more common than we would like them to be. According to SurfShark, an online privacy and VPN company, “over 110M accounts were leaked in the second quarter of 2023.” Ouch.
The tricky part is that your data can still be vulnerable to a data breach even if it wasn't on the specific platform or service that was breached. It kinda sounds like a weird maze, we know. But here's the good news–we've figured out a way out.
Yorba scans your accounts and finds unresolved data breaches you’ve been part of by using data gathered by haveibeenpwned, a trusted, open-source service that tracks more than 11B leaked email accounts, usernames, and data.
Instead of just telling you that you were part of a data breach, Yorba provides detailed information on the type of data that was breached, when the breach occurred, how to reset your passwords, and protect yourself in the future.
What data should you worry about?
You should be cautious about all of it, but some data is more sensitive than others. Extremely sensitive information includes Social Security numbers, birthdates, home addresses, driver's license numbers, ID, credit card details, medical records, etc.
How exactly do people get your data?
There are various ways:
Hacking: You’ve heard of major hacks, and in addition to compiling your data, these hackers usually sell your data for tons of money.
Social media: Your email address might be easier to find than you think–a quick Google search can reveal it. Vendors use similar methods to find your email address, names, birthdays, and more.
Harvesting or web scraping: Scammers can set up a quick system to pull email addresses from the web and organize it in a pretty sophisticated manner. They can then sell this info or use it to contact you directly.
But not all data is pulled and stored by scammers; most of it is actually sold by tech companies you love and trust.
What do people do with your data once it’s sold (or hacked)?
The good - Your data might be used to support improved products, or processes within SaaS and tech companies. In some cases, your data may be encrypted to remove personal information.
The bad - Your data is used to make the apps you love more addicting for you. Serving up personalized ads, social media content, and videos that keep you scrolling.
The ugly - Your data is hacked and sold to unsavory individuals who use it to change your account passwords, get mortgages, apply for credit cards and beyond.
How much money do companies make off your data?
It’s really hard to say, and, of course, it depends on the type of data that’s collected, but TDS estimates that general data is worth $0.0005, while “an active user’s Facebook data might be worth $2” or more.
How can you protect your data?
There are several steps:
Use unique passwords for each online account and enable two-factor authentication when possible. Why? If your login credentials for one account are exposed in a breach, attackers may attempt to use those same credentials on other platforms, potentially gaining access to your data.
Be cautious on public Wi-Fi networks. Why? They are unsecured, lack encryption, allow hackers to capture data and enable MITM attacks. Use a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your data and avoid accessing sensitive information on public Wi-Fi.
Monitor your digital footprint. For example, with Yorba, you can see when you've been involved in a data breach and change your passwords or delete your accounts entirely. Then you can start deleting accounts you no longer want to be associated with, and unsubscribing from unnecessary mailing lists.
Your online privacy matters. Protect it with Yorba today.
