Cybersecurity Experts Warn: Data Breaches Represent a Battle for Digital Identity
As digital transformation accelerates, the primary concern has shifted from individual hacks to the trade of leaked data, which is becoming a valuable commodity on the dark corners of the internet, threatening the digital security of both individuals and institutions.
Dr. Mohamed Mohsen Ramadan, head of the Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Department at the Arab Center for Research and Studies, describes this phenomenon as an existential threat to digital identity. He emphasizes that "any piece of information, no matter how trivial, can be transformed into money, extortion, identity theft, or even long-term cyberattacks."
According to Dr. Ramadan, the process of data leakage involves various types of sensitive information, including personal, financial, and medical details, often acquired through exploiting security vulnerabilities or electronic deception. He added that this data "embarks on a journey in the underbelly of the internet, the 'Dark Web', where the largest markets for data trade exist, and where data is sold in secret auctions and shared within closed 'hacker' groups."
Major General Abubakr Abdel Karim, former first assistant to Egypt's Minister of Interior for Relations and Media, revealed that leaked data have become tools for committing a range of serious crimes, including cyber extortion, identity theft, and advanced financial fraud.
The Major General noted that the perpetrators' detailed knowledge about their victims makes their attacks "more convincing" and enables them to conduct complex fraud operations, especially when they gain access to temporary verification codes or answers to security questions.
The security expert also pointed to digital tools that help users monitor their data breaches, such as the well-known website "Have I Been Pwned", along with features in web browsers and specialized security programs that send immediate alerts when a hack is detected.
In conclusion, Major General Abdel Karim offered fundamental preventive advice, urging users to employ strong and unique passwords for each account, activate two-factor authentication, and regularly review application permissions on smart devices. He concluded by stating that "data breaches are no longer isolated incidents but a battle for your digital identity," emphasizing that data protection in the age of artificial intelligence has become "an individual national security necessity."
