Data theft, also known as information theft, is the illegal transfer or storage of personal, confidential, or financial information. It involves stealing digital information stored on computers, servers, or electronic devices to obtain confidential information or compromise privacy. The data stolen can be anything from bank account information, online passwords, passport numbers, drivers license numbers, social security numbers, medical records, online subscriptions, and so on. Data theft is considered a serious security and privacy breach, with potentially severe consequences for individuals and organizations.
Data theft can be caused by system administrators, office workers, adversaries, or even malicious employees who steal corporate data from secured file servers, database servers, cloud applications, or personal devices. Cybercriminals use a wide range of techniques to steal data, including exploiting weak passwords, physical theft, and social engineering tactics such as phishing and spam campaigns.
To prevent data theft, individuals and organizations can take several measures such as using strong passwords, encrypting sensitive data, implementing access controls, and regularly updating software and security systems. Techniques to investigate data theft include stochastic forensics, digital artifact analysis, and other computer forensics techniques.
