I think it is difficult for us to be aware of how vulnerable we are if we do not know the subject in some depth. But facts like the one reported last week by the Credit Bureau that detected the sale of Bureau user information on social networks can make many hair stand on end.
Although it is data from 2016, social networks may currently be offering the highest bidder information about their credit history, mortgage or vehicle payments, and even their punctuality in paying for services.
That data may now be in the hands of fraudsters, organized crime and who knows what other interested parties. Unfortunately, these types of events are not isolated situations in Mexico.
The theft of personal data in Mexico not only grows year after year, but in 2019 we were the third country with the highest incidence of this crime in the world. And it is not only about mere mortals like us, in September of last year the Secretary of National Defense (Sedena) was hacked and 6 terabytes of information were stolen, among which were confidential documents, letters, information cards, videos, all belonging to the Mexican government.
If we stay in government spheres but a few years back, it is worth remembering the scandal in which the administration of Enrique Peña Nieto was involved in 2017 when it became known that the Pegasus spy system was used against journalists, rights activists humans and political opponents. People they accessed through their smart devices.
Finally, at the end of 2021 Meta, which groups the social networks WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, denounced the operation of espionage companies on their platforms to obtain information from their users; these companies had operations in Mexico at the time.
The attacks to obtain our information that we put on the web, or that is found on our digital platforms are incessant, and although we are not aware of how vulnerable we are, we do fear what might happen to our information.
A study prepared by the MX Internet Association indicated at the end of last year that 69% of Internet users in Mexico fear being the victim of some type of personal data theft, and another 29% believe that their privacy may be violated through social networks.
And it is not a simple perception, the same Association reported that at the end of 2021, 50% of Internet users in Mexico suffered some type of cyber fraud, information theft or identity violation.
Technology is giving us a lot, and it shapes part of our lives today. But it also makes us more vulnerable every day as we enter a world that we little know and manage. It seems that our best option is to be cautious, be vigilant and activate as many virtual locks as we can.
