Actu
Data Protection Day – comment from RiskIQ?
January 2021 by Terry Bishop, VP of technical services at RiskIQ
On Data Protection Day, Terry Bishop, VP of technical services at RiskIQ, discusses why the day should serve as a reminder that, although public attention may focus upon the dark web, consumer data is much more likely to be stolen through the open web and corporate websites. He comments:
“Each year, Data Protection Day highlights the importance of protecting personal information online. While many will focus their attention on the dark web – which continues to catch the attention of the public as it’s used to market drugs, stolen data and weapons – in reality, it’s near impossible for an ordinary internet user to stumble into its realm. The actual dangers the dark web presents to the public are little compared to the attacks that largely originate from the well-trafficked, open web. Internet users are far more likely to encounter theft while pursuing ‘safe’ corporate domains, which means the issue isn’t just limited to consumers, but businesses too.
“When companies create websites on the open web, they can hide a multitude of dangers that exist for customers when they make purchases online. Indeed, these websites may be inserted with malicious skimming code, or the customer could be interacting with a well-designed imitation website created to defraud them. Therefore, businesses must have excellent vision into how their online assets exist on the open web, so that they can spot criminal activity before the customer is victimised.
“To put it simply, the dark web will continue to catch our attention, but Data Protection Day should highlight the biggest threats to businesses and consumers alike – and that’s the threat of the open web and official websites.”
