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The Power Behind Data: Eliminating Leakages of Personal Information

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The relevance of data as we know it has only really come to light over the last half-decade and through public scandals and leaks the truth around how important data is to companies and what they will do to attain your data. Many do not believe that data and specifically your data is not a worrying factor in life, as no-one is able to predict your input, tastes and patterns.

While this may be true to some extent, there have been countless leaks, whether that’s at the expense of consumers directly, companies and government institutions and all of these have had a monumental impact on the society we live in today. It seems as though there’s always a new public data scandal on the news daily and many of the victims are still unaware of their own data being subject to the leaks and scandals.

What can we do to prevent data being leaked?

The best way to avoid any data being leaked is to first ensure that your computer or laptop has up-to-date antivirus systems installed, there are numerous free-to-download programs that require no effort. Another way to avoid this is to use a VPN, which essentially hides your location to the site you’re using. This is vital, accessing sites, such as online casinos powered by crypto, are incredibly popular these day, as they add an extra layer of security to take part in your favourite live table games like blackjack, poker and roulette through cryptocurrency deposits. However, it’s wise to take additional steps to safeguard your data.

While taking measures such as using a VPN and having an antivirus program reduce the risk you take when browsing online, it does not eliminate the chance of you potentially falling victim to a data leak. Checking the terms of service and confirming the site’s licence, usually found at the bottom of the site, is a fantastic way of ensuring that the site you are accessing is genuine. You can never be too safe when it comes to the internet.

Even when taking such measures, you may find yourself victim to having your data leaked to a third party without your permission. The all too famous scandal between Cambridge Analytica and Facebook is the best example you’ll find, with around 87 million individuals falling victim to this scandal without any knowledge of it even happening. This cost Facebook around $5 billion and knowing how costly this can be for companies, this would almost certainly strike fear in the heart of data leakers and scammers.

Is there any personal risk attached to data leaks?

Data leaks come in many forms and much of the data that does leak doesn’t turn out to be harmful to the individual, only prosperous for the company that acquires the data. Experts currently attribute data as one of the most rich forms of information on the planet, with data, personal tastes or opinions can be manipulated or used to manipulate the wider public. While this may be highly concerning for the public, there is no indication that you can directly be harmed.

However, in some cases, identities can be stolen, fraud can be committed in your name and personal reputations can fall victim to data leaks. Scams in the modern day are rife and this is without a doubt due to the accessibility of data and how quick it could be to become a victim of a scam. The last thing you’d want is to end up in prison for a crime you had no knowledge of.

What to fulfill personally to eliminate risk

Anytime you access the internet or a computer device, a paper trail is always left behind, every action is always traceable and while it is a cliche, your passwords are the most powerful tool to avoid risk of being scammed in some way. While it may be hard to believe, using few characters, the name of a family member, or even the generic ‘password’ password is the biggest risk you can take.

For a scammer, a 5 letter, simplistic password with no upper case or special characters can be cracked in a matter of seconds. Adding special characters, using longer passwords or randomised passwords can increase this process to over 40 years, this is how vital such a small choice is when using tech hardware. It is far too common for the public to acknowledge these facts, however, over 60% of computer users continue to use generic passwords that are easy to crack.

Thanks to technology today, security has become a massive market in the technology field and one thing stands out above all. This is 2-factor authentication and to break down what this is, is two separate devices needed to permit access to specified sites. This is common on social media sites now and almost all of them will offer this function. You’re able to favour certain devices and should another device not registered appear in the login logs, the account is blocked instantaneously. Ensure to turn on 2FA as soon as possible for any site that holds your personal data.

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