Uber hushed up; your keystrokes are being tracked; and staying safe online this festive period. These news caught our eye this week.

The main news that dominated the headlines this week was that Taxi Service Uber had been silent for a long time about a security breach in 2016, which is estimated to have affected over 57 million customers and drivers. Uber paid the hackers $100,000 to delete the data, instead of notifying the regulators and victims that their critical information was stolen. Since the breach has come to light, Uber has stated that the company has stepped up its efforts to increase security and defense measures. Organizations need to have a proactive mentality when it comes to data security and if appropriate methods were in place beforehand, the critical information would still be protected.

Another major discovery made this week was uncovered by researchers at Princeton University, America, who found that over 400 of the world’s top websites are recording users’ keystrokes in real-time and sending them to third-party servers. Data entered into forms, mouse movements, and even information deleted by the users is being recorded, all of which could lead to identity theft, online scams and other malicious behavior. With GDPR looming, handling data in this manner will be in clear violation due to users being unaware that their data is being collected. The GDPR clearly states that the collection and storage of information is not permitted without the consent of the customer. To gain a better understanding of GDPR, which comes in affect in May 2018, view our GDPR guide.

Finally, with Cyber Monday upon us and Christmas just around the corner, millions will be launching themselves onto their computers to seek out the best deals and discounts online. However, this is also the period were identity theft and fraud are at their highest. Hackers and cyber criminals alike will be scouring the internet in search of helpless victims to exploit so we have a few tips for you to stay safe and one step ahead:

1. Always keep your personal information safe, secured and private
2. Change your passwords and PINs regularly or use a password manager
3. Refrain from opening an attachment or link from an unknown website and check for the https in front of the website URL before making a purchase
4. Use only legitimate and trusted payment services for online transactions