A bad actor isn’t only a poorly skilled thespian (ha ha). It’s also a person (or group) who intentionally acts to cause harm to a person or organization via computers, devices, systems or networks.
This type of bad actor most commonly affects individuals when they steal their personal information, such as name, address and credit card details in a data breach (though not all data breaches are malicious).
To date, more than 60% of Americans have been the victim of a data breach. In 2023, data breaches in the US increased by a massive 78% over 2022, and impacted an estimated 353,027,892 people.
Breaches don’t discriminate by industry. In fact, no industry is safe, with public administration, finance and healthcare the most at-risk industries for data compromise.
What’s more, data breaches don’t only happen on the internet. Personal information can be exposed via Bluetooth, text message, and the good old-fashioned stolen wallet or phone, too.
So, once a bad actor has your personal information, what do they do with it? Here are the top 10 things going on right now:
- Identity theft: Using your stolen information to impersonate you for financial gain or to commit crimes
- Financial fraud: Accessing your bank accounts, credit card information, or other financial accounts to make unauthorized transactions
- Phishing: Sending fraudulent emails or messages pretending to be from legitimate organizations to trick you into revealing more information or clicking on malicious links
- Social engineering: Manipulating you into divulging confidential information, often by posing as someone you trust or using your stolen information to build credibility
- Account takeover: Gaining unauthorized access to your online accounts (email, social media, etc.) using your stolen usernames and passwords
- Tax fraud: Using stolen personal information to file fraudulent tax returns and claim refunds
- Medical identity theft: Using your stolen information to get medical services and prescriptions, or to fraudulently file insurance claims
- Employment fraud: Using your stolen information to illegally gain employment or benefits
- Blackmail or extortion: Threatening to expose your sensitive information unless you pay a ransom
- Creating fake identities: Using your stolen information to create new identities for various fraudulent purposes.
So, with so many ways to be scammed, how do you keep your information safe online and off? The simplest fix is to use MySudo.
MySudo is the world’s only all-in-one privacy app that lets you protect your information, secure your chat, and organize your life.
You protect your information with secure digital identities called Sudos, each with its own phone, email, handle, private browser and payment card. Anywhere you’d normally use your personal phone number, email or payment card, use your Sudos instead. Sign up for deals and discounts, book rental cars and hotel rooms, pay for concerts or a coffee, all without giving away your personal information.
Then, you secure your chat by calling, texting and emailing securely inside the app with other users using your Sudo handle—or communicate standard outside the app with everyone else. Your Sudo phone and email work just like your private ones and they protect you from spam and scams.
You can also use MySudo to organize your life. Shop through a Sudo, sell through a Sudo, eat through a Sudo and live through a Sudo. The power of Sudos lies in compartmentalization, separating your information into different silos or Sudos to reduce the impact if a data breach strikes and helping you keep all your activity contained within a dedicated Sudo purpose.
Once you know how many Sudos you need, choose one of our awesome value plans for a privacy set-up that’s right for you. Check out MySudo.
Want even more tools to protect your personal information? Try RECLAIM.
RECLAIM, powered by MySudo, is a new personal data removal service that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to help you reclaim control of your personal information from the companies that store and sell it.
RECLAIM scans your email subject lines and senders to identify which companies have your personal details, such as phone, address, and credit card details, and then instructs you in either switching out your personal information for Sudo information or asking the company to delete your data altogether.
Remember, Sudos are secure digital profiles with phone, email, and payment cards to use instead of your own. You create your Sudos in the MySudo all-in-one privacy app, part of the same app family as RECLAIM.
Just released in beta, RECLAIM is a great place to start reducing the online exposure of your personally identifiable information and digital footprint, and boosting your data privacy. Check out RECLAIM.
Here are more great tips for what to do if you’re caught in a data breach.
And why not download MySudo VPN to encrypt your internet connections while you’re at it? You’re on a roll!
