Leak is a scary word that you hear everywhere these days. But what does it mean for you specifically? How can you find out if your data has been leaked? Who is responsible for the leak? What should you do now? You will find answers to all these questions in this article.
What is a personal data leak?
First of all, it’s worth mentioning that a leak isn’t the only unpleasant scenario that can happen to your personal data. It can be altered, deleted, or lost. And that can also affect you.
Example: the power goes out at the airport. Because of this, you can’t check in for your flight: the computers with the databases aren’t working. This could cause you to be late for an important event or another flight. This is also a breach of personal data security, but not in the form of a leak, but in the form of a temporary loss of access to it. In this case, you also have a number of rights that will help reduce the negative impact of such an incident. We will discuss this in more detail below.
How do you know if your data has been leaked online?
There are specialized services for this, such as Have I Been Pwned. They allow you to check whether your email or other data has been compromised. Enter your email address in the search bar, and the service will show you whether it has been involved in any known data leaks.
Leaks often include the following types of information:
- Email addresses;
- Passwords;
- Financial information (e.g., credit card numbers);
- Full name;
- Phone number;
- Other personal data.
This data can be used for fraud, so it is important to find out exactly what information may have fallen into the hands of attackers.
What to do if your personal data has been leaked?
If you find out that your data has been compromised, don’t panic. It is important to act quickly and systematically:
1) Change your passwords
Your first step is to immediately change your passwords on all accounts, especially if you use the same passwords on multiple sites. It is best to use unique passwords for each site and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to increase security.
2) Check your bank account
If your bank card details or other financial information has been leaked, keep a close eye on your bank accounts. If you notice any suspicious transactions, contact your bank immediately and block your cards.
3) Keep an eye on notifications
If a company has suffered a data breach that could have serious consequences for data owners, it is obliged to notify the affected users. If you receive a notification, carefully read the recommendations and follow the instructions.
What rights do personal data owners have?
In the event of a leak, you have certain rights in relation to the companies that process your data. These rights are protected by law. Let’s take a look at the rights enshrined in the “gold standard” of personal data protection legislation — the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe.
1) Right to notification
Article 34 of the GDPR states that if a data breach poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, the controller is obliged to notify you without undue delay. The notification must include: the nature of the breach, the possible consequences, and measures to mitigate the damage.
2) Right to erasure
You can request that the controller erase your data if you believe it has been processed unlawfully or is no longer needed for the purposes of processing. This is the so-called “right to be forgotten” described in Article 17 of the GDPR.
3) Right to compensation
If the data breach has caused you material or moral damage, you have the right to claim compensation through the courts. This right is enshrined in Article 82 of the GDPR.
Don’t ignore data breaches!
How can you protect yourself in the future?
It is impossible to prevent data breaches completely. However, there are several ways to reduce the risks:
- Use password managers. This will allow you to store complex passwords and not repeat them on different platforms. Examples of such services include LastPass and Bitwarden.
- Update your passwords regularly. Change them at least once every six months.
- Data monitoring. Periodically check your data for leaks using special services.
