As we head farther into the digital age, we all leave more of our personal data out there for hackers to potentially access. This produces unease for consumers who understandably worry that sensitive information could fall into the wrong hands. That’s why companies need to make sure that they’re doing everything they can to prevent hacks and keep their customers’ data safe.
The recent leak of Facebook user data demonstrates the extent of the problem. Business owners need to make sure that their clients and partners aren’t involved in any similarly costly breaches. More importantly, partnering with companies that can help safeguard your customers, employees and members can help differentiate you from the competition.
How The Facebook Story Unfolded
On April 3, 2021, a user suddenly posted a massive trove of Facebook user data on a little-known hacking forum. As you can imagine, the dumping of this information in a single place brought immediate attention. The story made headlines around the world, and people began wondering if their data might have been part of the leak.
What The Leaked Facebook Data Contained
The leak included phone numbers, email addresses, and Facebook names from users around the world. While U.S. users, 32 million of whom had their data leaked, were hit hardest, the United Kingdom and India were also severely affected, with 11 million and 6 million users involved, respectively. In total, the leak included data from over 533 million users in 106 countries.
What Caused The Leak
It seems that much of the data had been hacked years ago, and what was posted recently was only a collated package of old information. Facebook claimed as much in its initial response to the news, maintaining that the data was part of a breach that had long since been addressed. More analysis, however, suggests that some of the data came from a different breach in 2019 that Facebook didn’t fully acknowledge at the time. Since Facebook has suffered several severe breaches in recent years, it is difficult to ascertain the exact source of this latest batch of data.
Why The Leak Could Have Serious Consequences
The fact that the leaked data is two years old does not make it any less dangerous. Cybercriminals can still use the information to impersonate users and conduct malicious scams. Some users could even be tricked into giving over their login credentials, leaving them vulnerable to further criminal activity. Alon Gal, the Hudson Rock Chief Technology Officer who initially discovered the leak, thinks users have plenty of cause for concern.
What It All Means For Your Company
This latest leak serves as an additional reminder to offer your clients, members, and employees adequate identity protection. You need your users to know whether they were a part of the Facebook leak or any other breaches. Partnering with a company like Enfortra, and leveraging their White Label Identity Protection solutions, can allow you to alert users to any beaches. Coupled with White Label Credit Reports, these services program can help help bolster your brand whiling providing your user’s the high-quality services they deserve.
