Social networks, applications, websites, banks and mobile operators – they all leak our personal data, despite a host of laws and prohibitions. And the problem is truly large-scale.According to JoLynn Dellinger, a professor of privacy law and ethics, we constantly leave behind a giant information trail. When we go to the doctor or shop, create posts on social media, listen to music via streaming services, and even use bank cards. And all this data can potentially be used to harm people themselves, by pushing services and selling them to third parties.
Our information footprint now allows us to predict desires, behavior, and political, religious, or sexual beliefs—all the way down to our personal health. Just a couple of years ago, for example, a study at Cambridge University used Facebook “likes” to predict people’s personalities more accurately than their own spouses could. Creepy as it may seem, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The scariest thing is that information from personal devices can be sent to real brokers for sale to insurance companies, advertisers and third parties. For example, researcher Justin Sherman from the Stanford School of Public Policy found more than 500 websites selling data on US military personnel: their marital status, home address, credit rating, number and age of children, as well as gambling interests.
And student Joanna Kim from Duke University was able to find a whole market with information about mental illnesses of Americans, where everything is sold: from common anxiety and depression to post-traumatic, obsessive-compulsive and personality disorders. At the same time, the cost of personal data of one person on such resources is no more than 12 cents or 12 rubles. And they can easily be used for blackmail or stalking.
“It is very difficult to fully maintain your privacy now. Yes, it is possible to give up social networks, wearables and smart gadgets, but this is not an option for most people. However, you can try to make your online activities more private. For example, with the help of the well-known personal security guide Digital Defense, which helps to reduce surveillance and collection of personal data”
Meanwhile, cybercriminals have gotten their hands on an incredible tool that has given them a host of new ways to deceive and a list of potential targets — artificial intelligence. That is why experts from Izvestia magazine have told us which trends in cyberattacks will be the main ones in 2025.