Researchers have discovered approximately 1.5 billion personal records such as medical exams, payment accounts, etc., exposed online.
Researchers at cybersecurity firm Digital Shadows used a scanning tool for three months, which revealed vast amounts of private data related to individuals and companies around the world.
Reports show that 700,000 payroll records, 60,000 tax return files, and over 2.2 million medical records remain exposed along with corporate information such as blueprints, patent summaries of unpublished products, etc.
The estimated size of the unprotected data is approximately 12 petabytes and is “freely available” to anyone with basic technical knowledge.
“The online availability of personal data makes it easier for hackers, states or rival companies to steal sensitive information,” said Rick Holland, Vice President of Digital Shadows.
According to researchers, users are not focused on securing and protecting their “external” digital footprints, even after recent data breach incidents.
“Incorrect storage settings, file exchange protocols, and third-party file sharing services” are the main sources of data exposure. In fact, many users end up “supporting the exposure of their data online without knowing it,” Holland explains.
Such a large-scale data exposure can be attributed to poor security practices and file sharing protocols, which further highlights the need to raise user awareness about security and ways to protect information shared online.
