We are often surprised by news of data leaks in Brazil, whether public or private organizations, criminals tend to attack and steal sensitive information.
The impression that remains is that these attacks are only increasing, and unfortunately it is not just an impression, Brazil is the leader in the ranking of data leakage on the internet according to recent research.
But what makes our country lead a world ranking in cyberattacks? There are some actions, or rather, the lack of them that make this number so expressive.
Companies often lack infrastructure or don't recognize the importance of investing in digital security. It is necessary to understand that when it comes to cybersecurity, all organizations need to act together.
Ranking of data breaches
According to a survey conducted by NordVPN, one of the largest global cyber protection companies, more than 2 billion of Brazilians' confidential information was exposed on the dark web this year.
This alarming number has put our country ahead of others that are often targeted, such as India, Indonesia and the United States.
The personal data most exposed in these leaks are:
· Names;
· Emails;
· Cities;
· Passwords;
· Home addresses.
Also, according to this research, about 30% of this information was active, which represents a great risk if this information falls into the hands of criminals.
Another important fact is that Google, YouTube, Microsoft and Bing are the sites with the largest volume of compromised data, worrying everyone, after all most Brazilians use at least one of these services.
This survey makes it clear that even large companies are susceptible to suffering from cyberattacks. That is why cybersecurity and prevention actions must be incorporated into all organizations.
What makes Brazil a leader in data leaks?
Our country faces some challenges regarding data protection, many organizations do not have infrastructure or do not invest in cybersecurity, and people are not knowledgeable about digital security practices.
All of this contributes to high rates of data leakage, as we have seen in research, and makes Brazil a dangerous country for information security. This only tends to damage our reputation in the world and how companies relate to each other.
Although Brazil has advanced significantly with the arrival of the General Data Protection Law (LGPD) and some organizations have paid more attention to cybersecurity, there is still a long way to go.
Here are some of the reasons that make our country one of the biggest when it comes to data leakage.
Lack of cyber infrastructure
Cybersecurity infrastructure in Brazil is often insufficient and often inadequate. Many organizations adopt security practices that are outdated or don't meet their needs.
This is due to the lack of adequate investment in security technologies, a shortage of professionals in the market, and a lack of awareness about the importance of digital security.
This lack of infrastructure makes systems more vulnerable to attacks and data leaks, opening up loopholes that are exploited by cybercriminals.
Some companies in our country, especially small and medium-sized ones, do not have enough resources to invest in cybersecurity measures. This leaves your networks and data more vulnerable to attack.
It is necessary to understand that when these small businesses become vulnerable, they pose a great risk to everyone, as large organizations depend on them to process information.
That's why cybersecurity should be a concern for society, when a data leak happens, everyone ends up losing.
Rise in cybercrime
The rate of cybercrime in Brazil is only increasing, criminals take advantage of the lack of regulation and low investment in cybersecurity of organizations to apply their scams.
IBM's report showed that in the year 2022, malware attacks grew a lot and one of the reasons for this increase is financial motivation. The stolen data is valuable to criminals.
Also, according to information in the report, the accesses obtained from this crime are sold for values ranging from USD 10 to USD 75. Armed with this information, the criminals can use the privileges of the hacked account to perform other malicious activities.
The significant increase in cybercrime is due to the lack of awareness among people, who often do not recognize these threats and click on suspicious links or install malicious software that compromises data security.
Therefore, the lack of knowledge and awareness about cybercrime makes people fall prey to these criminals who steal data and use it to commit crimes.
Vulnerabilities in networks
Brazil has a vast infrastructure of networks and communication systems, which often do not receive due attention, either in maintenance or in their updates, which leave them vulnerable to cyberattacks.
This vulnerability facilitates unauthorized access to sensitive information and data, which makes the environment conducive to criminals carrying out their actions.
Therefore, it is essential that organizations pay due attention and closely monitor the updates of these infrastructures, these actions help mitigate risks and prevent data leakage.
Developing Privacy Culture
A few years ago, it was not very common for companies to think about actions aimed at privacy and information security.
If we think that the LGPD was only sanctioned a few years ago, this fact becomes more evident. However, other countries have been taking this topic seriously for longer and know the importance that cybersecurity develops in their organizations.
But for Brazil this movement is still new, it is necessary for organizations to understand that the villain of privacy is not technology, but our actions. That's why it's important to fight them.
This understanding of the importance of data privacy and cybersecurity is still developing in our country. Which means that many organizations and people don't understand or adopt security best practices.
This developing privacy culture tends to create more vulnerability and thus expose institutions to data leaks.
Lack of awareness
Many data breaches happen due to people's lack of knowledge. As you can see throughout this text, a major problem facing our country is the lack of investment in cybersecurity.
In this way, organizations do not implement policies aimed at information security, making their companies vulnerable.
People need to be educated about cyber risks, so that they are able to identify them, criminal actions are only successful thanks to human error generated by a lack of knowledge.
This leads to people not fully understanding the risks associated with data breaches and not taking sufficient measures to prevent such incidents. Awareness is a key step in combating data breaches.
PhishX on Data Leak Protection
Brazil faces challenges in its cybersecurity infrastructure, which contributes to a high incidence of data leaks and cyber incidents.
The lack of cybersecurity infrastructure makes many businesses vulnerable to attacks and data breaches, which can have significant consequences for data privacy and security.
PhishX is an ecosystem dedicated to promoting cybersecurity awareness and at all levels.
It offers a number of solutions and benefits that can help your organization strengthen protection against data leaks. As we have seen, the main way to combat these attacks is through awareness.
On our platform, it is possible to create and run cybersecurity awareness campaigns, educating people about safe practices and identifying potential vulnerabilities.
In addition, it is possible to perform phishing simulations, which helps identify areas of vulnerability in security and provide specific training for each area.
Our platform also offers easy access and control over cybersecurity training, we have a series of materials such as booklets, videos and support materials ensuring that people are up-to-date on security best practices.
Data leakage is a crime that affects several organizations around the world, but especially in Brazil, don't be a static anymore, contact our sales team and find out how PhishX can help you.
