A survey conducted by LocalCircle found that 7 in 10 Indian citizens report that their personal information was leaked or compromised on the internet.
Data leaks and breaches can seriously harm the individual whose information has become compromised, especially if any financial information or passwords are floating around seedy parts of the internet. Hackers will sell and use the information they find on the dark web, only seeking to profit off of the resident’s misfortune.
In fact, only 9% of citizens reported that none of their personal details have ever been leaked online, while over 70% have reported that their data is already in the public domain.
Interestingly enough, when the survey asked where people believe the data leaks have come from, 81% of responders believed it was in part due to their state and local governments, while 69% believe the information comes from their financial institutions. Nearly half of the citizens believe eCommerce platforms are responsible.
That’s not all though, 75% of residents believe that telecoms are responsible for their data being compromised and nearly a third of people blame payment apps and websites. The two smallest categories were educational facilities and “other” — both categories were placed at around 25%.
The data shows that citizens believe the leaked information came from a multitude of sources and multiple entities may be responsible for the same leaks.
As far as what is being stolen, the majority of people’s phone numbers, email addresses, and Adhaar identification numbers were leaked. 50% of people’s PAN card numbers were leaked as well, while around a quarter of people reported that their credit/debit card information was stolen.
As data breaches only become more frequent and affect more people as time goes on, it’s more important than ever to take precautions to protect your online data. Consider using a quality VPN while you browse the web and use web protection from an effective antivirus solution.