Hot on Your Trail: How Much is Your Data Worth?

Privacy remains a hot topic in the digital age. We’ve previously discussed certain aspects about online privacy such as the Do Not Track function in browsers and personalized advertising. However, it appears that a lot of users are still unaware of how to keep their information private. For instance, according to Consumer Reports, 13 million users have never set Facebook’s privacy tools. A Pew Research report found that only 38 percent were aware of ways on how to limit the amount of information they put online.

Keeping your personal information private is important because your data is valuable. Users are well aware that cybercriminals want data related to financials, such as credit card information, online banking credentials, and Paypal accounts. However, they may not know that seemingly harmless or useless data (e.g., gender or likes) is also important —to marketers. Marketers need user data to make sure that the right message is sent to the right demographic.

But how do cybercriminals and marketers get your data? What happens once data is made available publicly? To know the answers and for additional information about your data, check out our latest infographic, “Hot on Your Trail: How Much is Your Data Worth?”