Recently the data of Chinese company Zenhua has been stolen. The celebrities whose information has been revealed in this include the British Prime Minister, the Prime Minister of Australia, their families, and many top-level people. Information about some well-known Indians is also included in this data leak. A few days ago, a cyber attack was also reported on our National Information Center (NIC), in which the digital Prime Minister and other important personalities were targeted through digital burglary.
These days, information about the world's large population is available on the public platform and through any of this information, different countries can target their enemies. China, Russia, and the United States have been accused of stealing information from sensitive areas and institutions in many countries, from interference in elections.
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If Analytica intervened through Facebook, Pegasus did this through WhatsApp. In the era of data theft, the term Hybrid Warfare is fast gaining popularity. Acquiring or damaging a country by civil means is hybrid warfare and data leaks are associated with it.
There are many ways to steal data. The first method is direct theft. You are asked for information from an app, internet link or message, etc. These days, data theft by sending malware via the app, internet link, or e-mail is also common. The second level is data theft in bulk. In this, thieves target companies' data. For this, the company's security system is targeted through viruses. Then comes the case of data sales. Many apps and companies collect public information and sell it to other companies.
Tampering with sensitive data is a crime in many countries including India. There are laws like the Public Records Act and the Official Secrets Act, but they can be effective only after the theft. The banking app should be selected carefully to avoid data theft. Net banking should only be done on a single computer and should be avoided on public WiFi. Bank usage passwords should be changed and the auto-fill option of OTP (one-time password) in the message should be turned off. The OTP should always punch itself.
A smartphone is an important link in data theft. The smartphone manufacturer does not take responsibility for data loss from the app we download. The company is only responsible for the cyber attack from the operating system associated with the phone, preloaded app, and browser. Every year around 200 million smartphones are sold in the country. In this way, more and more people are coming under the target of data thieves.
Sensitive data leaks through the contact list, location data, messages, videos, and photos on the smartphone. Data theft via the app is very common. This is stolen by sending malware from the app. There are two ways of data theft. There is a mass attack, in which the target is not predetermined. Whoever gets caught in it, his information or money is stolen. The second way is to set a target and attack. Such attacks are carried out at large companies and government agencies.
Downloading the app on mobile and then allowing it becomes our compulsion. In many cases, these apps do not run without permission. For example, the location has to be allowed for Ola, etc. But most apps also get all the permission they don't need. Such as a music app or video streaming app take permission from your message, phonebook, gallery, etc. This threatens not only your privacy but also your safety. To avoid this, after downloading the app, turn off mobile data and go to settings and remove permissions. Your card details are saved on shopping websites. These details can also be removed by going to settings.