Data theft is a malicious act aimed at appropriating confidential information without authorisation.
This is a "digital burglary" in which a hacker exploits a security vulnerability to gain access to a system and steal sensitive data.
A data leak, on the other hand, is an unauthorised disclosure of information, which may be the result of human error or a cyber attack. It is a specific case of data breach involving access to or dissemination of personal data.
Causes of data theft
These incidents can occur in a variety of ways:
- Operation of vulnerabilities in IT systems
- Physical theft of devices containing data
- Attacks of the "man-in-the-middle"to intercept communications
- Use of malware to infiltrate networks
π Protection and remedies
To guard against these risks, a number of measures are recommended:
- Regular updating of systems and software
- Use of strong, unique passwords
- Encryption of sensitive data
- Training employees in good safety practices
- Implementation of firewall and antivirus
- Constant monitoring of suspicious network activity
π Statistics and figures
In France, the situation is particularly worrying:
- In Q3 2024, 17.2 million French accounts were compromised, an increase of 34% compared to the previous quarter.
- On average, a French person is affected 8 times by personal data leaks, one of the highest rates in the world.
- Since 2004, 547.7 million French accounts have been compromised, along with 164.8 million unique e-mail addresses and 478 million passwords.
Worldwide, the figures are just as alarming:
- 68 billion data points have been exposed since 2004, including 18 billion e-mail addresses
- On average, each e-mail address disclosed is associated with three other data points (password, telephone number, etc.).
