Digital identity theft is one of the most serious threats of the digital age. It can affect individuals, businesses and even institutions.
What happens when personal information such as login credentials, phone numbers, tax codes, bank details or even private photographs fall into the wrong hands? Digital identity theft is one of the most serious threats of the digital age, affecting not only individuals but also businesses and institutions.
The risk of such an attack is constantly increasing in an environment where so much of daily activity takes place online.
The numbers and the damage: digital identity theft
Digital identity theft is an increasingly prevalent threat as IT services become part of everyday life and most activities are conducted online using technological tools such as PCs, smartphones or tablets.
According to a recent report on IT security in Italy, 81.7 per cent of web users fear “becoming a victim of theft and breach of their personal data“.
Every year, millions of users have their personal data breached, resulting in economic losses estimated in the tens of billions of euros. Digital identity theft is not limited to simple unauthorised access to an account, but can lead to serious consequences such as financial fraud, online defamation or even the illegal use of data for criminal activities.
The attacks
Common attacks include phishing, which uses seemingly trustworthy messages to trick the victim into revealing sensitive information, and malware, malicious software designed to intercept personal data. Social networks are also fertile ground for identity thieves due to the large amount of personal information that is easily accessible.
Through cyber-attacks or social engineering techniques, cybercriminals are able to steal sensitive information from users, such as passwords, telephone numbers, tax codes, credit card numbers or ID cards, which they then use to impersonate victims of theft. With this data, the perpetrators can make online purchases, access health or financial information, take out mortgages, apply for loans, take legal action in the victim’s name, and very often commit crimes.
There are many ways in which these attacks and/or thefts are carried out, but they rarely involve one step at a time: for example, the attacker may only need a few pieces of information, such as email access details, which can later be used to obtain the passwords for all the services for which the email address was entered as a method of retrieving the security key. One of the most sophisticated techniques is Sim Swap, which allows criminals to obtain the victim’s phone number to bypass security systems such as two-factor authentication.
What to do against digital identity theft
Protection against digital identity theft is a multi-layered approach.
It is important to take preventative measures such as using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication and constantly monitoring your online activity.
If you suspect identity theft, it is important to act quickly: report the incident to the relevant authorities, inform the platforms involved and, if necessary, contact your bank to block any unauthorised access.
