What is a Data Breach?
A data breach is an event where an unauthorized person gains access to privileged information. An incident like this always has serious consequences for the victim, be it a person or a company – depending on what has been leaked, you may lose your money, reputation, friends, clients, partners, and/or customers. What is more, your identity can be used for criminal purposes, which is most likely to put you in harm’s way.
Unfortunately, data breaches seem to be everywhere these days. For instance, millions of Outlook login credentials have been made publicly available quite recently. The leak is reported to have occurred due to individuals and companies persisting in using the same password for different accounts. Are you guilty of this reckless practice too? For your sake, we hope not. Anyway, a large number of users are wondering, “How to check whether my email has been compromised?” An easy way to do this is by visiting the Have I been Pwned website. Once there, input your email address and see if you have fallen victim to the data breach.
Reasons Leading to Data Breach Issues
Among the top security problems and threats that lead to data leaks are:
- weak passwords
- duplicate passwords
- phishing scams
- malware
- out-of-date software
- sensitive information exposure
- insecure Wi-Fi connections
- physical theft
Below you will find a list of helpful tips on how to avoid data breaches.
How to Keep Protected from Data Breaches?
There is no universal way to keep your Outlook account absolutely impervious to a skillful criminal armed with dedicated hacking tools. That said, adopting certain security practices will drastically reduce your risk of a data breach:
- Create strong, unique passwords and store them safely
- Avoid phishing scams.
- Keep protected from Man-In-The-Middle attacks.
- Keep your software up to date.
- If you are using Outlook with Gmail, check what apps have access to your account
- When possible, browse anonymously.
- Secure your Wi-Fi connection
- Protect your computer with a powerful anti-malware tool (like Auslogics Anti-Malware).
- Never disclose your personal, sensitive or confidential information online unless it is absolutely necessary.
- Encrypt your files and folders in case your PC gets hacked or stolen.
Following these tips will help reduce your risk of being hacked.
Now you know how to keep protected from data breaches. If you have any questions or ideas regarding the issue, do not hesitate to leave a comment below!
