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In October South Africa was hit by the largest data breach in its history. The ID numbers, names, gender, ethnicity, home ownership, contact information & estimated income of an estimated 60 million South Africans were leaked online from a website belonging to a real estate company.
The fact that the actual breach occurred in April this year and was only announced in October, should not be of concern, but the fact that the personal information of 60 million of us South Africans is now in the “open” and can be exploited by criminal and scammers worldwide, should be a cause for worry as this is the type of information cybercriminals use for identity theft.
With enough personal information‚ criminals can do damage to a person by illegally opening credit accounts or make bookings using the information included in this database leak. It is an extremely big risk. The great risk is to the individual whose data has been breached.
The following measures have been suggested by experts in the IT security business:
- Monitor your credit reports. Every time you buy on credit, your credit record is created at the National Credit Regulator (NCR). Credit providers and financial institutions always check credit records (with your permission) for various applications. Check your credit report as often as you can.
- Do not be afraid to put a freeze on your credit information. A freeze means the credit bureaus can’t release your credit report or any other information in your file without your authorization. With no information, thieves will not be able to open any account in your name.
- Consider an identity theft protection service. For a fee, some third-party services take credit monitoring a step further and notify you if someone has inquired about credit in your name.
- Protect your email. Your email address and password, which are often compromised in a data breach, can be a treasure trove for identity thieves. With these data points, thieves can potentially get access to your banking, and other personal information.
- It’s also important to use secure passwords with a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, change passwords often and use different passwords for each of your accounts.
In the wake of the breach, the website ThisIsMe has launched new tools and revealed practical steps that you can take to mitigate the prevalent risks resulting from this explosive breach. Read more about it on MyBroadband.
[ARTICLE BY DAVID WILES]
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In Oktober is Suid-Afrika getref deur die grootste databreuk in sy geskiedenis. Die ID-nommers, name, geslag, etniese oorsprong, huiseienaarskap, kontakinligting en geskatte inkomste van ongeveer 60 miljoen Suid-Afrikaners is aanlyn blootgestel op die webwerf van `n eiendomsmaatskappy.
Die feit dat die werklike lekasie van inligting reeds in April plaasgevind het, maar eers nou ontdek is, maak egter geen verskil nie. Die bekommernis is dat die persoonlike inligting van 60 miljoen Suid-Afrikaners nou daar buite is en moontlik misbruik kan word deur kriminele en krakers wereldwyd om identiteitdiefstal te pleeg.
Met genoeg persoonlike inligting, soos die wat nou uitgelek het, kan kriminele skade verrig aan `n persoon se reputasie en kredietstatus deur onwettig rekeninge oop te maak, krediet aan te gaan en besprekings te maak. Dit `n geweldige groot risiko. En die grootste risiko is vir die persoon wie se data blootgestel is.
Die volgende riglyne is voorgestel deur IT-deskundiges in die veld:
- Monitor jou kredietverslae. Elke keer as jy enigiets op krediet koop, word jou kredietrekord geskep op die National Credit Regulator (NCR). Kredietverskaffers en finansiele instellings kan (met jou toestemming) jou kredietrekord nagaan.
- Moenie bang wees om jou kredietinformasie te vries nie. Dit beteken dat die kredietburos nie jou kredietverslag of enige ander informasie in jou leer kan bekendmaak sonder jou inligting nie. Met geen inligting, kan kriminele nie `n rekening in jou naam oopmaak nie.
- Oorweeg `n identiteitsdiefstal beskermingsdiens. Vir `n fooi kan sommige derdepartydienste verdere kredietmonitering doen en sal jou in kennis stel as iemand navraag gedoen het oor jou krediet.
- Beskerm jou e-pos. Jou e-posadres en wagwoord – inligting wat maklik gelek word tydens `n databreuk – verleen toegang tot `n magdom van inligting vir identiteitsdiewe. Daarmee kan toegang verkry word tot bankbesonderhede en persoonlike inligting.
- Maak seker jou wagwoorde is sekuur en `n kombinasie van letters, nommers en simbole, verander gereeld wagwoorde en gebruik verskillende wagwoorde vir verskillende rekeninge.
Na aanleiding van die hierdie databreuk het ThisIsMe nuwe hulpmiddele vrygestel en praktiese wenke gee hoe jy die risiko van bestaande risikos kan verminder. Meer daaroor op MyBroadband.
[ARTIKEL DEUR DAVID WILES]
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Tags: data breach