The growing data breach in Brazil has been keeping Brazilians up at night. Those whose data is captured by hackers are exposed to various types of scams.
At the same time, the number of places requesting consumers’ personal data at the time of purchase is increasing.
Faced with this scenario, how can you act to protect yourself and prevent your data from being leaked?
To answer this question, our expert Marcelo Nagy participated in the program É de Casa, from Rede Globo, on May 28, 2022.
Want to know more about the subject? Check out our article on how to protect yourself from data breaches.
How to protect yourself from constant data breaches in Brazil?
In 2021, cases of mega data breaches in Brazil – such as the one that occurred in January of that year, when 230 million CPFs were leaked, a number higher than the number of active registrations – pushed the country to the sixth position in the ranking of countries where data breaches of their citizens occur most frequently.
Investigations into the mega breaches indicate that the data was extracted from various sources, including websites and systems of the federal government. This information is worrisome and exposes the risks that Brazilians currently face.
Data stolen by hackers can be used for various types of scams, such as opening digital accounts and even taking out loans in the victim’s name.
To not be a victim, it is necessary to learn how to protect yourself. Come with us as we give you important tips on how to protect yourself against data leaks on the internet.
3 tips to protect yourself from data leaks in Brazil
1- Know where your data is
Today, would you be able to say how many companies and institutions have your personal data? For most people, answering this question is very difficult.
Information technology has allowed companies to analyze data from their customers as never before in history. So much so that in the past decade, some executives claimed that data would be the new oil.
In practice, this has resulted in a much more aggressive action to capture consumer data. Today, it is very common for us to be asked about our personal data when making a purchase, whether online or in person.
The result is that we often give our sensitive information to businesses with poor information security, thereby increasing the chances of leaks.
Be careful who you provide your data to and try to find out who has it.
2- Know LGPD
Since last year, any business that performs any form of data processing, by any means, must comply with the General Data Protection Law (LGPD).
LGPD is an important achievement for the right to privacy, establishing the principles and regulations that must be followed in the processing of personal data, with the consent of the data subject and transparency being fundamental pillars of the legislation.
This means that the capture and use of your data can only occur with your authorization, and it is the responsibility of the data controller to communicate how this information will be used.
Another important provision that LGPD brings to the citizen is the possibility of requesting information about how their data is used, as well as its deletion from the database, at any time, without justification.
Knowing LGPD is knowing your rights regarding your personal information. With greater control over your data, you are less exposed to leaks.
3- On the internet, always be suspicious
The theft of a company’s database is one of the ways cybercriminals obtain information, but it is not the only one. Requests for false registration and device invasion are also tools used by hackers.
Remember this rule: never click on a link sent by email without checking with the sender if they sent it and what it is about.
Digital pirates use mechanisms and tricks of social engineering that make it difficult for the victim to perceive and fall for the scam.
Also, avoid filling out online registrations when there is no real need. The less your data is present in the digital world, the less chance of leaks.
Keeping systems and applications updated and having active security software are essential to increase your online security and thus reduce the risks of having your data leaked.
Keeping your personal data secure is possible
Yes, although it is a difficult and laborious process, it is possible to keep your personal data secure and not be another victim of the series of mega breaches that have been occurring.
Our partner, expert in information security and digital forensic expert, Marcelo Nagy, spoke more about the subject, giving valuable tips on how to protect yourself from data leaks in Brazil, on the program É de Casa, from Rede Globo, in May 2022.
Click here to check it out and learn how to keep your personal data safer with someone who understands the subject.
Want to know more about how to have a safer digital life and protect yourself from cyber scams? Stay tuned to our blog and follow STWBrasil’s page on social media. With us, you always find quality information, attested by experts.
Until next time.
