Global Cybersecurity Threat: 1.4 Billion Accounts Hacked Monthly

Quick Summary

• UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC) warns of increasing risks tied to digital footprints, citing over 1.4 billion hacked accounts globally per month.
• Digital footprints are categorized into:

– Passive footprints – data collected unknowingly via tracking by websites/apps.
– Active footprints – content deliberately shared by users such as photos, posts, or comments.

• Risks from unsecured data include privacy breaches, account takeovers, phishing attacks, and identity theft. Untrusted apps may even record calls or access cameras covertly.
• Recommendations included downloading apps from official stores, checking app permissions carefully, enabling two-factor authentication, and practicing safe online habits like selective sharing of locations and friend requests.
• the council emphasized that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility between technology providers and users’ awareness.

Indian Opinion Analysis

Digital security threats highlighted by the UAE CSC hold global relevance and offer important lessons for India as it deals with its own challenges in cybersecurity amid rapid digital adoption. With India’s growing internet penetration rate and usage surges through smartphones and social platforms, vulnerabilities linked to compromised personal privacy present escalating concerns.

The advice on responsible online behavior-such as downloading apps only from verified sources-could be significant for India’s vast user base where counterfeit applications remain an ongoing problem. The emphasis on individual awareness underscores the criticality of empowering citizens via education campaigns about cyber hygiene.

India continues to prioritize building robust tech infrastructure while also advocating for data protection laws such as Draft Data Protection Bill aimed at reducing risks like identity theft or unauthorized surveillance-a sentiment aligned closely with the CSC’s advisory points.

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