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Going through a data breach is not easy ―after all, companies promise their clients their data is safe and used only for fair purposes. But sometimes, customers are involved even if hackers aim to gain advantages from big companies.
You may have heard about the biggest data breach in history when Yahoo was hacked by spies who compromised over three billion accounts. This event heavily hit the company, but since customers lost trust in them, it slowly faded away from the public’s interest.
We know how companies are affected after a data breach ―profit losses, lawsuits and settlement payments. But what about us, regular people? And what are the psychological consequences of such unfortunate events? We’ll discuss this in the following paragraphs.
What is a data breach?
A data breach can be defined as an incident where an individual or an organization aims to steal your personal and confidential data. This information can be anything from your name and birthday to your street address and health care history. If you think that your data isn’t important, know that, for example, if a hacker gets into your credit card account, they can take out loans.
Or, if they have acquired your social security number and other easy-to-access information, they are able to open credit cards in your name. Sometimes, hackers can steal identities for these purposes too.
What are the signs of a data breach?
Sometimes, data breaches can be unnoticeable due to hackers’ methods, but you can still prevent bigger problems if these things happen:
- You’re locked out of your account. If you notice you can’t access your account anymore, it may be because a hacker has changed your login credentials.
- Your devices and network are slower than usual. Malware and viruses can corrupt your files or consume device resources if they are successfully installed.
- Your system behaves abnormally. If there’s an increasing number of pop-up messages while browsing the internet, there are sudden computer or program crashes, and there are suspicious anti-virus warnings, it means hackers probably have entered your system;
- Uncommon account activity. If you notice unusual logins into your accounts or if money is missing from your credit card, it’s probably a data breach.
What can a person experience after getting their data stolen?
It’s hard to say what a person can feel after their data is stolen. One can feel fearful and start questioning their own safety at this point because the panic you feel from getting something as important as your data is undoubtedly hard to process. These fearful feelings may start even before the breach when the person targeted feels that their belongings or personal safety might be in danger. At the same time, people can even feel angry because they’ve been lied to and stripped from their most important information.
The initial shock is full of emotions, including denial, guilt, anger, panic and anxiety. The first hours are even worse, as people are confused about what’s happened and unaware of the situation’s gravity. After feeling so many things, people’s actions can be powered by fear, like ripping out their power cables, closing themselves in their homes or not speaking to people for a while.
Among them, feeling guilty might be the worse because they think they have been ignoring the signs and have not looked for better ways to protect their information. Not being able to cope with these emotions can worsen the situation, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be done anymore.
All these feelings can turn into psychiatric damage or even PTSD. If you’ve ever experienced a data breach that caused financial losses and psychological issues, you can make a data breach claim in the UK to get compensation. You are eligible if you can prove that the damage was caused by a data controller or data processor that failed to provide security and integrity of your data.
Is there a way to recover?
There are a few ways to get you back on track, at least for the moment. Cooling off can help find the best solution, and even if the data cannot be taken back, there’s still a way out. One exercise used by military and firefighters when they’re experiencing a stressful situation in dangerous missions is called tactical breathing.
The exercise has four simple steps:
- Breath in and count to four;
- Hold your breath and count to four;
- Breathe out and count to four;
- Repeat until you feel better;
After calming down, there are some things you need to do because the attack might still be underway or cause more damage. The first step is to contain the cyberattack, meaning you should:
- Unplug your router
- Unplug all Ethernet cables;
- Turn off the Wi-Fi and data on all your devices;
- Turn off Bluetooth and NFC;
- Unplug all USB drivers from your computer;
- If possible, revoke any access rights from your accounts;
- Call your bank provider to freeze your bank account and inform them of the breach;
Are there methods for preventing data breaches in the future?
Although no one is 100% safe from data breaches, not even big companies, you still can avoid such situations by toughening your security on all your devices. That means:
- Creating complex passwords and using different ones for each account;
- Using multi-factor authentication when available;
- Being aware of the latest phishing attacks. Most of them are made through emails when hackers pretend to be a trusted company, but if the email urges you to hurry to click on a link, you should never do it because the link may contain malware that downloads itself on your device.
- Setting up account alerts that notify you when there’s a suspicious purchase or activity on behalf of your accounts’
Final thoughts
Going through a data breach can be pretty tricky, as you may experience financial losses and feel anxious, mad, and desperate. But you can claim compensation, adopt stronger security practices for the future, and regain your sense of safety.
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