From shopping online and booking holidays to signing up for loyalty programs, downloading apps and entering competitions, we hand over a surprising amount of personal information in everyday life. Email addresses, phone numbers and passwords can end up in databases belonging to dozens of different companies, making it difficult to keep track of where our details live. And while we might assume our information is safe once we hit ‘create account’, a data breach can change that in an instant.
The tricky part is that your details can stay exposed online long after a company announces a breach, and you may not even realise someone has compromised them. Cybercriminals can potentially use stolen information in phishing scams, account takeovers and identity-related fraud, making online safety about more than simply avoiding dodgy links.
With Cybersecurity Awareness Month underway, it’s a timely reminder to check in on our digital security habits and consider what happens to our personal information after we share it.
So, how can you tell if a breach has exposed your details?
Netgear has introduced Dark Web Monitoring to its Armor and Armor Plus security services, powered by Bitdefender. The feature scans known data breach sources and the dark web for personal information, then alerts users when it finds their details.
Users can see what the feature found and where their details appeared, along with recommended steps to help secure affected accounts. These can include changing compromised passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication, which adds another layer of protection beyond a password alone. A new Identity Protection Score also gives users a way to understand their overall exposure and track their progress as they take recommended security steps.
Chandan Nandakumaraiah, Head of Product Security at Netgear, says many people only discover a breach after something goes wrong. “Plenty of people only discover their details were caught up in a breach when something goes wrong, often an email that looks a bit too convincing or a login attempt they don’t recognise. If you find out first, the fixes are simple. Change the password on that account and anywhere else you’ve reused it, switch on multi-factor authentication, and stay alert for phishing attempts over the next few months.”
“Good security should work quietly in the background,” Nandakumaraiah adds. “NETGEAR Armor, powered by Bitdefender, protects your connected devices at home and on the go, and Dark Web Monitoring extends that to your identity. If your details are exposed, you are told quickly and given clear steps to secure your accounts.”
A few digital housekeeping habits worth adopting
You don’t need to be a tech expert to make your online accounts harder to compromise. Start with these practical steps:
- Give every account a unique password. Reusing the same password across shopping sites, email and social media can put multiple accounts at risk if one service suffers a breach. A password manager can help you keep track of different logins.
- Switch on multi-factor authentication. Where available, this adds an extra verification step when you sign in, making it harder for someone to access your account with a stolen password alone.
- Be wary of unexpected messages. Scammers can use emails and texts that claim there’s a problem with a delivery, bank account or online order to trick you into sharing personal information. Check the sender and go directly to the official website or app rather than clicking unfamiliar links.
- Keep your devices and apps updated. Software updates often include security fixes, so putting them off indefinitely can leave known vulnerabilities unaddressed.
- Check your accounts regularly. Look out for unfamiliar transactions, unexpected password reset emails and login notifications you don’t recognise. If something seems suspicious, investigate through the official service.
Security beyond your Wi-Fi Protecting your home network is another piece of the puzzle. Nandakumaraiah notes that routers are often overlooked “People set up home routers and forget about them. If you have been using the same router for more than three years, check if the model is still supported. If not, you may not be taking full advantage of bandwidth and performance provided by your service provider or worse, the device may be missing important security updates – it is time to replace it.”
Netgear Armor and Armor Plus are available through the Orbi and Nighthawk apps, with Dark Web Monitoring now part of the offering.
Ultimately, good cybersecurity isn’t about being paranoid every time you shop online or download a new app. It’s about understanding where risks can arise, building a few sensible habits and knowing what to do if your personal information falls into the wrong hands.
For more information, visit Netgear’s Dark Web Monitoring page.
