Page 32 - Banking Finance September 2025

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The Dark Side of

Our Digital

Footprint Neha Gaur

Chief Manager (Faculty )
Union Learning Academy
Digital Transformation,
Union Bank of India, Powai

The scale and speed of data harvesting have grown exponentially in recent years, driven by
advancements in technology and the increasing digitization of everyday life. Unfortunately, this
has also amplified the potential for misuse.

R ujuta had just returned from a rejuvenating vaca- significant perils. The relentless collection of data, commonly
tion, but an unsettling undercurrent lingered. Her
referred to as data harvesting, has become a double-edged
phone buzzed incessantly with alerts of unfamiliar
transactions-some ominously tied to her bank account. A sword.
panicked call to the bank confirmed her worst fears: her fi- On one hand, data harvesting braces innovations that en-
nancial credentials had been compromised. What baffled hance convenience and efficiency. On the other hand, it
her was the breach's origin-until she uncovered the link opens Pandora's box of vulnerabilities, leading to ethical
between her seemingly innocuous social media posts and the dilemmas and exposing individuals to cyber threats. Orga-
digital heist. Her public vacation updates and recent shop- nizations, apps, and websites now aggregate vast amounts
ping hauls had unwittingly served as breadcrumbs for of user information, both legally and illicitly, often with little
cybercriminals. In mere hours, this data was trafficked on transparency. This wealth of data, if mismanaged or ex-
the dark web, arming scammers with enough intel to infil- ploited, can empower cybercriminals to execute sophisti-
trate her accounts and siphon off her savings. cated scams and frauds that were once inconceivable.

Rujuta's story is not unique. In today's digital world, our per- The scale and speed of data harvesting have grown expo-
sonal information is constantly being harvested and misused, nentially in recent years, driven by advancements in tech-
often with devastating consequences. In today's fast-paced, nology and the increasing digitization of everyday life. Un-
interconnected digital landscape, data is often touted as the fortunately, this has also amplified the potential for misuse.
new oil, driving technological innovation and enabling un- Cybercriminals exploit harvested data to craft personalized
precedented personalization of services. It fuels everything attacks, steal identities, and manipulate trust in digital in-
from targeted advertisements to AI-driven insights, rede- teractions, leaving individuals and institutions increasingly
fining how businesses and consumers interact. Yet, as with vulnerable. As we navigate this complex digital landscape,
any powerful resource, its rapid proliferation comes with it is imperative to understand the implications of data har-

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