Is your personal data safe out there in cyberspace? This is the question so many people have been asking lately based on seemingly endless computer hacks. And, unfortunately, the answer to this question might not be what you want to hear.

In terms of recent noteworthy developments, unless you have been living in an isolated cave, you undoubtedly have heard about the Ashley Madison hacking disaster. The Ashley Madison hack does not only present a problem for the site’s users who thought that their personally identifiable information would be secure, but it points to a larger problem beyond this one specific site.

And, if supposedly secure passwords relating to the Ashley Madison site can be cracked, one would think that passwords used on various other sites could be hacked as well.

Hence, the answer to the original question appears to suggest that our data is not terribly safe in cyberspace, especially if even “uncrackable” passwords can be cracked.

Because of functions such as dating apps and health tracking services, not to mention social media, people now are putting all sorts of new and different kinds of personal information on the Internet. That information can be compromised by hackers.

So, the answer to the question is not a happy one. People should be careful about the information they share on the Internet and they should try to use reputable websites and apps.

Eric Sinrod (@EricSinrod on Twitter) is a partner in the San Francisco office of Duane Morris LLP, where he focuses on litigation matters of various types, including information technology and intellectual property disputes. You can read his professional biography here. To receive a weekly email link to Mr. Sinrod’s columns, please email him at ejsinrod@duanemorris.com with Subscribe in the Subject line. This column is prepared and published for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author’s law firm or its individual partners.

Related Resources:

  • Millions of Medical Devices Are Vulnerable to Hacking (FindLaw’s Technologist)
  • The Internet of Insecure Things: Hacking ‘Smart Devices’ (FindLaw’s Technologist)
  • Who Is Liable When the Cloud Is Hacked? (FindLaw’s Technologist)

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