‘Over 1.4 billion accounts hacked monthly worldwide’

Every online interaction can be exploited. REPRESENTATION PIC

The UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC) has warned of growing risks linked to users' digital footprints, saying more than 1.4 billion accounts are hacked globally each month.

The council said every login, post or interaction online leaves a trace that can be exploited. It identified two types of digital footprints- a passive footprint, collected without the users' knowledge through tracking or data gathering by websites and apps; and an active footprint, intentionally created by users through photos, videos, comments and posts.

The CSC cautioned that weakly secured data can lead to privacy violations, account takeovers, phishing and even identity theft. The council urged users to download apps only from official stores, review app permissions, enable two-factor authentication, and exercise caution when sharing locations or accepting requests.

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