Sharing sensitive data with strangers

Nowadays, we’re handling more and more matters over the phone or on a computer, which means we’re leaving all sorts of information in our wake. We often do this completely unconsciously – by sending photos, posting comments on social media, or logging into various services. That’s why it’s worth knowing what information about us is key and could be misused, as well as how to protect ourselves and our privacy.

What is sensitive data and why is it important to protect it?

Sensitive data is any information that allows others to identify us or reveals details about our private lives. Some data is quite obvious, such as:

• full name;
• personal identification number (PESEL);
• home address;
• telephone number;
• date of birth.

However, there is a certain category of data which, from the user’s point of view, is less obvious, and sharing it does not cause us any concern. These include, for example:

• photos of our flat;
• photos of our family;
• a ticket or boarding pass;
• a bank transfer confirmation;
• information about travel plans (“We’re all flying off on holiday tomorrow!”);
  comments on social media in which we disclose health details (e.g. “Back home after the operation, resting now”).

Such data, even taken individually, can be exploited by fraudsters, for example, to:

• impersonate us;
• reveal when we are not at home or are on our own;
• disclose our address or telephone number;
• help a criminal make a fake message to family members seem credible.

That’s why it’s always worth thinking carefully about what we share, with whom, and whether it’s absolutely necessary. Fraudsters don’t need full details about us. Just a few bits of information are enough to create a credible story or a fake profile. A good tip? Let’s ask ourselves three simple questions to start with:

1. Does this information really need to be public?
2. Am I revealing anything here that could harm me (travel plans, address, documents, valuables)?
3. Could a stranger use this against me or my family?