Qatar: The UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC) has raised alarm over the scale of cyberattacks worldwide, revealing that more than 1.4 billion accounts are hacked each month. The warning highlights the increasing dangers tied to individuals’ digital footprints.
The council explained that every online activity—whether posting, logging in, or sharing—creates a trail that could be exploited by cybercriminals. It identified two categories of digital footprints:
- Active footprint: deliberately created by users through photos, videos, posts, and comments.
- Passive footprint: unknowingly generated through data tracking by websites and applications.
According to CSC, poorly protected personal information can lead to identity theft, phishing scams, account takeovers, and serious privacy violations.
To reduce risks, the council urged users to:
- Download apps only from trusted platforms.
- Review app permissions regularly.
- Enable two-factor authentication.
- Exercise caution when accepting requests or sharing location details online.
- Cyber experts stress that as digital dependence grows, protecting one’s online presence is no longer optional but a necessity.
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