In the News
The personal information of millions continues to be exposed by more and more companies. In USPS took a year to fix a vulnerability that exposed all 60 million users’ data, Shannon Liao at The Verge discusses a flaw in the US Postal Service website which allowed access to personal accounts and all the information they contained. Liao states that USPS knew about such a vulnerability for almost a year before resolving the issue. Liao elaborates that the security flaw was found within the API for tracking packages and deliveries because of a lack of verification before gaining account access.
Our Take
Personal information provided when one sets up an account is often extensive and could be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. Securing such information should be a priority of all companies, but unfortunately, this is often not the case. While many USPS users have capitalized on the increasing technology available for tracking packages in the age of instant gratification and easy access to products on platforms such as Amazon, the concern and priority of security seems to have fallen to the back-burner. Consumer demand for increased security measures including multi-factor authentication or any system of verification is crucial in protecting your information against the threats of identity theft. Physical safety is also compromised when personal information, such as addresses, are exposed from digital vulnerabilities adding to the urgency and importance of protecting account information.
Recommendations
How can you protect your personal information while using social media?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Don’t reuse your account passwords, and take advantage of multi-factor authentication whenever possible
- Track your finances closely to notice suspicious transactions before they become dangerous
- Stay up to date on the news regarding recent data breaches and security flaws to see if you may have been affected