Privacy is power and so is information. In business, for example, competition is fierce and trade secrets can and will be stolen and sold to the highest bidder if companies are not careful. Your personal life is also not safe. For instance, in 2024, credit card fraud topped the list of identity theft cases.
Most of the data is obtained from your online activities as hackers have their ways of stealing it. Luckily, you can prevent this by using leak tests to protect your privacy. Read on to find out more about leak tests.
What Are Leak Tests?
Before diving into the types of leak tests available, let’s first discuss what data leaks and leak tests are. Data leakage is accidentally exposing sensitive data concerning a business or a person to cybercriminals. The leaks could be:
- Physical: Such as by carrying the sensitive data in storage devices like flash drives.
- Electronic: This refers to sending sensitive data through email or over the internet.
The main cause of such data leaks are theft of electronic devices such as laptops and mobile phones in which sensitive information could be stored. Other causes include vulnerable software and misconfiguration — especially in firewalls, privacy settings, cloud storage, and software settings. While there is a blurry line between data breaches and data leaks, the latter are accidental whereas the former are typically intentional.
Types of Leak Tests?
To take the proper preventive measures against data leaks and breaches, you should know the precise risks you are facing. There are different types of real tests to help you understand where your vulnerability lies:
WebRTC Leak Test
WebRTC refers to web real-time communication which has been embraced to enable video conferencing, online gaming, and live streaming. It comprises APIS and communication protocols that facilitate peer-to-peer data exchange between Internet browsers. WebRTC leaks happen when your real IP address is exposed since even if you use a proxy or VPN, webRTC still bypasses it.
You can conduct a webRTC leak test through websites that offer the tools freely. Start by finding your device’s public IP address and use the free online tests to check if your IP address matches any on the leak test tool. If it matches, your browser could be leaking your IP address through webRTC.
DNS Leak Test
Domain Name System (DNS) facilitates browsing and managing DNS traffic by translating user-friendly domain names into numerical addresses, enabling data routing across the web. You can, therefore, easily find a website based on an easy-to-remember domain name instead of having to cram complex numerical IP addresses.
The most common signs that you might be having a DNS leak could be a sluggish internet connection, unblocked websites that should be restricted, and unexpected pop-ups and advertisements. A DNS leak test determines which servers your browser is using to resolve domain names. If after running the test you find that a DNS server belongs to your ISP (internet service provider), you definitely have a leak.
IPv6 Leak Test
Although IPv6 is the latest version of Internet Protocol (IP), it is yet to be fully implemented globally. As a result, most users are stuck with using IPv4 whose format is entirely different.
If your ISP offers both versions, but you visit a website that supports only IPv4, then the request sent to the server will comprise both versions of IP. Most VPNS usually use IPv4 and consequently, your data will exit the secure network and accidentally transmit IPv6 traffic leading to exposure
Why Invest in Data Leak Detection Software
It is better to be safe than sorry considering that in 2024’s third quarter, at least 422 million data records were leaked. Data leaks can cause irreparable harm to your finances, especially in business when competitors get a hold of your secrets. A data breach could also make you part with millions of dollars in fines and recovery which will significantly impact your profit margins.
When companies suffer a hacking attack, they may be left unable to refund customers for the services they had paid for, resulting in business closure. Usually, the money spent on prevention is far less than that used to recover lost data, and worse, your damaged reputation.
Conclusion
Your online privacy depends heavily on how well you protect your IP address. A small leak in your IP address could cause a lot of damage. With the different types of tests mentioned, you can conduct the one you feel best suits you to protect your online privacy. Besides, with the tests being free you have no excuse not to safeguard your privacy. So, why not take the necessary tests today?
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