TL;DR
- If a hacker or scammer gets hold of your personal data, they will almost certainly try to monetize it in some way. This could mean they compromise one of your online accounts, or use leaked financial details for their profit, possibly engaging in identity theft or targeted phishing attacks using the stolen data
- You may not know that you've been the victim of a data leak until you receive a message about one of your accounts being compromised – but Bitdefender's Digital Identity Protection service can warn you in a more proactive way
- Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection can help you respond calmly and correctly to any data breach and the prospect of identity theft, giving you simple steps to follow to remedy the situation. More broadly, features like Bitdefender Password Manager give you a higher overall level of online security, and Bitdefender's strong anti-phishing tech keeps you safe from scams that might leverage your leaked details to seem more convincing
If you're unlucky, your personal data could be exposed online in a number of ways, but there are three main culprits: falling victim to malware, being duped by a scammer, or suffering at the hands of a data breach.
The first two of those scenarios directly pertain to your own circumstances, although in the latter case, your data could end up online through absolutely no fault of your own. A data breach usually occurs due to a security flaw that a company with an online presence hasn't spotted – a gap in its defenses (or that of a third-party partner) which is exploited by a hacker. Then, assuming you've signed up for an online account with that company, your details may be part of the 'virtual loot' that the hacker manages to steal.
In the unfortunate event of your personal data being leaked online – however that may happen – this article addresses the main questions and concerns you may have, and the practical consequences of what could happen next.
More importantly, it'll answer the questions you may have about how to stop data being exposed online in the first place – and the actions you can take when it comes to the dreaded data breach. Because even in the case of a breach that you couldn't personally do anything to prevent, if you act quickly, you can still take control of the situation, and Bitdefender's security suites will help you do exactly that.
What happens to your data when it's leaked online?
After a hacker, scammer or malware author gets hold of your data, they are going to try and somehow make a profit out of it – and that may mean it's posted on the dark web.
While that won't necessarily be the case, one way or another, the attacker will almost certainly try to monetize your data. Advertising stolen credentials or data as available for sale on the dark web – or elsewhere online – is a common tactic. A buyer may purchase a batch of such leaked logins, for example, and then use them to try to gain entry to the associated accounts – yours included.
Or the attacker may try accessing your account directly themselves, of course. If the leaked data includes payment details – such as your credit card information – the attacker may try to sell that, or again perhaps attempt to use it themselves. It's obvious enough where the damage will be done then – namely to your bank account.
Leaked personal data – an email or postal address, phone number, date of birth and so forth – could be sold, or again directly used, to steal your identity in some way. A person in possession of such details may set up an online account under your name, for example, or use the data to concoct a targeted phishing attack. The latter would be sent directly to your email, and could be very convincing due to the stolen data the attacker has in their possession, which they will use to make it seem authentic.
How do you actually know if your data has been compromised and leaked?
You may become aware that some of your data has been leaked when suspicious logins are flagged on one of your online accounts – or Bitdefender's Digital Identity Protection service can warn you in advance in a more proactive way.
There are telltale signs that your account info may have been leaked, and one of those is a message – typically delivered to the email tied to the online account in question – informing you of a login on a new device (one that isn't yours). This might be a failed login attempt(s), or a successful one. (In the latter case, your account may already be compromised – unless you have two-factor authentication that the attacker can't bypass after logging in with your password, and that's why this security measure is important – as discussed in the next section, among other important advice related to this eventuality).
If the attacker has used your credit card details, you may be contacted by your bank, checking whether the latest transactions on the card are genuine. And of course, another sign of a data leak is receiving the targeted phishing emails mentioned above, which may look genuine, but there'll likely be clues that they aren't.
While all this may sound worrying – and rightly so – there's no need to panic. You can take action to defend yourself, and even be proactive using Bitdefender's security suites, and the identity theft prevention features provided by the Bitdefender Ultimate Security plan (as you'll see shortly).
How do you defend against all these risks and keep your digital life safe?
There's a range of precautions that you can take to better position yourself for the possibility of your data being leaked online, and Bitdefender's security plans – Bitdefender Total Security, Bitdefender Premium Security and Bitdefender Ultimate Security – can all play a key role here.
When it comes to online accounts, it's worth remembering the basics. Password security is key here, and that means choosing strong passwords – the problem being that long, secure passwords are tricky to remember. (And you don't want to start writing them down, which is a terrible security habit, but one that a surprising amount of people still engage in). There's an easy and convenient solution here, though, which is Bitdefender Password Manager. This handles all password duties, automatically providing your accounts with robust, highly secure passwords, and all you have to remember is one single master password. Bitdefender Password Manager is provided with all the company's security plans.
Also, where you can, use two-factor authentication (known as 2FA) with all online accounts (although not every service supports it, sadly). Note that you should preferably use an authenticator app, like Google Authenticator, rather than SMS-based verifications texts, as the former is more secure and avoids the danger of SIM swapping (although 2FA via SMS is still much better than no 2FA at all).
With proper safeguards – and strong passwords – in place for all your accounts, any danger of those online accounts being compromised after a leak is reduced.
As well as password management facilities, all of Bitdefender's security plans offer dedicated anti-phishing technology. This means that if an attacker does concoct a targeted phishing email using leaked data pertaining to you, Bitdefender will step in to warn you, and it automatically blocks any links leading to known phishing sites.
Not only does Bitdefender keep you safe from those scams, if you purchase Bitdefender Premium Security or Bitdefender Ultimate Security, you get the benefit of the Bitdefender Scam Protection Pro service. This blocks known scam websites, plus it monitors and warns of scams in your local area, proactively arming you with details of those attempts at fraud – and there's an AI element here, too.
Bitdefender's Scamio Pro is an AI-powered assistant which can evaluate any link, message, or even a QR code to detect any hint of a scam, warning you appropriately. These are all extra layers to defend against the kind of more convincing scams that may be aimed at you if an attacker has got hold of your personal details to hone and refine their effort at deception.
What about the danger of identity theft after a data leak – can Bitdefender help here?
Identity theft is indeed a key concern, and this is where the Bitdefender Ultimate Security plan comes into play, providing the Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection service to help you proactively fend off the spectre of having your identity stolen.
This is a multi-layered feature that constantly monitors the dark web (or elsewhere online) for any sign of your personal data appearing. Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection also warns you as soon as a data breach happens in real-time, so you'll be able to take action if it potentially involves any of your details, acting before the company even informs you about the incident.
On top of that, Bitdefender will provide advice on the steps to take if there's been a data breach, letting you know what you should do next in a simple, easy to follow manner. What's more, in the worst-case scenario where one of your accounts has been compromised, or you're a victim of fraud, Bitdefender has a Fraud Assistant service providing further advice on what to do next. At a time when you may feel totally lost and unsure, this is perhaps the most vital resource of all to have at hand, giving you clear guidance and avoiding any need to panic.
Bitdefender also provides a Digital Identity Protection Score as part of its service which is effectively a rating of how secure your identity currently is. This isn't just about evaluating your security, though, as Bitdefender actively provides recommended actions to increase your score, and bolster your levels of protection against identity theft – which is another string to the proactive bow here. Follow this advice and you'll reduce your potential exposure to being compromised in the future.