While analyzing the data trail of the recent, highly-publicized Adobe security breach and data theft, researchers also discovered data that appears to have been stolen from a prominent online broker of limousine and towncar services. Among the some 850,000 customer records discovered were such illustrious names as Donald Trump, LeBron James and Tom Hanks as well numerous other wealthy and/or famous individuals. The data also included credit card information, pickup times and locations and even ID numbers of private airplanes used by this company’s customers. The records also included notes on customer behaviors and activities including a number of tidbits that could prove embarrassing or even potentially incriminating. Even if the data were to somehow avoid falling into the hands of police or tabloids, it’s highly likely that cybercriminals will have already cherry-picked many of the customer records for their potential use to fuel spear-phishing attacks and other focused cyber-espionage attempts on corporate and government targets.
What this means for you:
You may have enforced rigor and discipline in your own technology, to the point where you feel fairly confident that you can avoid most attempts to compromise your technology security, but the above points out an uncomfortable reality: you cannot control what information is being gathered about you whenever you interact with the rest of the world. You have two choices here: acceptance and vigilance – be watchful and cautious, and come to grips with the fact that 100% security is impossible, or move to a bunker in the wilderness, off the grid and completely isolated from society. However distasteful and infuriating the former may feel some days, the latter is just not a practical choice (or even possible) for most people.
