It is undeniable that private life is becoming difficult. More than ever, we are reshaping relationships and the way we engage with our family, friends, and businesses.
The massive amount of information stored in the cloud, from photos and messages to location, health, and financial data, means we are providing personal information willingly, but also many times without our permission or knowledge. Who controls the data in the cloud? Who owns and manages the cloud? Our data has immense value for companies, platforms, and criminals!
This is not an abstract idea! When we place a meal delivery order or make a taxi reservation, we are not only using a digital service; we are also giving them access to sensitive information like our address, phone number, payment method, and billing details.
Just to illustrate: you are a client with a bank, and you deal with a particular individual there. You later learned that the bank employee with whom you dealt with your finances was also viewing your WhatsApp status. The same is true with the taxi driver who accepted the booking; sooner or later, you will notice that he is checking on you. Shops insist on having your mobile number.
You provide your mobile number to an official from a government institution, and the next thing you see is that the person in charge of dealing with customers is also checking on you.
Within companies or institutions, employees are not hiding their tailings. They are stalking you, either out of curiosity or something else. Motivations and objectives can vary widely. Is the ghosting a sign of immaturity, passive aggression, or emotional abuse? Hard to tell, but what we really don’t know is what is done with the seized information!
Our assets are under threat! Assets are not just a home, jewellery, land, or cash. Assets can be abstract, like reputation or virtual data. There are situations in which people become hostages to those who access their information; it can be software developers or software businesses. A user's mobile phone may be blocked by some applications if payments or specific details are not provided. This condition, generically called a ‘hostage situation,’ happens when sites claim ownership over one’s information when it truly belongs to individuals. After entering your information, you are unable to remove or even extract it. Usually, providers will say that the deletion of your data will take some time. Whatever happens in that space of time, we don’t know.
Scammers are increasingly targeting people in need of loans and job-seekers with fake opportunities. Once gathered or manipulated, information can be used for ransom. Scammers are exploiting genuine and reputable websites, including LinkedIn. Bearing in mind that stolen personal data such as name, address, email, phone number, or card details can be used as cover for cybercriminals, proving that your information has been stolen is a challenging process.
Besides financial information, another area of concern is medical data. All the information on medical visits, procedures, and the results of medical exams is stored somewhere in the cloud, and then you cannot extract or use that information with another medical institution. Sometimes, you have to ask for a copy of the record, and it may happen that you will only receive a fraction of your data. Health records and financial details on individuals are valuable data.
It sounds like hammering on the statement that technology is fast-moving. Similarly, hackers and lawbreakers are evolving their sophisticated tactics. While invasions of large companies and government institutions tend to get public attention, small businesses and individuals who lack the resources or expertise to defend themselves are vulnerable and more at risk.
It is about challenges, opportunities, and questions such as how much your personal data is worth. It all starts with awareness.
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