Are You Cyber Secure?

Your bank accounts, and details of credit and debit cards can be up for sale on the dark web. Run for cover, quickly

- Nirmala Konjengbam

Personal details of 20 million customers of a leading Indian e-commerce portal was allegedly leaked and made available for sale on the dark web last month. In August, almost 3,69,000 banking records of Indian account holders were up for grabs. In September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Twitter account was allegedly hacked.

In a world that is online 24x7, the dangers of cyber-attack—a word to describe unauthorised access to private online data—have never been more prominent than today. A recent study indicates that seven out of 10 Indian companies were victims of data breaches and cyber-attacks. The country witnessed close to 10,000 coronavirus-themed attacks between February and May. According to National Cyber Security Coordinator, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Rajesh Pant, cyberattacks in India have “gone up multifold” with four lakh malware being found every day. Data indicates that cyber-attacks witnessed a sharp jump during the lockdown when a large section of the country’s population was forced to work from home.

Our dependency on digital platforms has only increased over the years. Apart from being part of our work, digital platforms are also our gateway for shopping, entertainment and social interactions. Increased cyber-attacks make us more vulnerable to crimes like digital identity theft and hacking that takes away sensitive, personal and financial information.

Do not be surprised if your bank account and credit or debit card details are available for sale on this notorious dark web. Take cover in time.