Art is one of the humans’ ways of expressing their feelings and emotions. Most artists communicate something personal through their paintings, songs or other art forms because sometimes words are not enough. But with the rise of digitalisation and selling art online under different forms (such as NFTs, for example), the art industry has suffered from data breaches and information stolen, as large sums of money are included in these digital thefts.
You might think that hackers aren’t interested in stealing art-related information, but the truth is that this sector is not quite protected, making it the perfect target for them. So, in this article, we’ll discuss the online dangers of artists’ creations and how to avoid them.
Art and technology
Art has many forms, and you can interpret it from different perspectives, which makes it so valuable. But the truth is that few can afford to own art pieces, as they’re pretty expensive. Sadly, this aspect has opened the door for thefts of important paintings, like the Mona Lisa burglary (which became a national scandal back in 1911). Since then, the painting has been vandalised or stolen multiple times.
But that was only one of the hundreds of art-stealing attempts. More were to happen, but recently, these thefts moved to the online world, where hackers are able to break into systems to steal money from transactions or leak new art from young artists.
The latest breach reported happened to Art Basel, a non-profit art fair aiming to help grow and develop art programs. It provides artists with a platform to show and sell their work and has gained international fame in 50 years of activity. But last year, it was hit by a malware cyberattack when hackers gained access to personal contact details and lots of money.
Another art theft happened in the UK, at the London’s National Gallery, when thousands of pieces of artwork were stolen and used in online networks for people to hang in their private collection in the Occupy White Walls game. Pieces like Van Gogh’s Sunflowers or the painting collection by Botticelli were photoshopped and cut from their frames. Even though these institutions hold a lot of power over the art pieces, these thefts are not easy to control and prevent.
My information was stolen. What can I do?
This type of theft is more difficult to control, but you can still do something to prevent the situation from worsening. First, freeze all your credit cards and notify your banks of the situation. Then contact your local police department to see if something can be done. Most of the time, you won’t be able to get your art back, yet at least justice will be made.
But don’t lose hope. Luckily, if you experienced a data breach and your art pieces or sensible information have been stolen, you can file a claim in the UK. Some consequences that are considered eligible when making this claim are:
- Identity theft
- Fraud
- Monetary loss
- Emotional distress
- Harassment
- Damage to your reputation
Depending on how severe the breach was, you can get up to £108,620 for psychiatric damage. But first, you need to contact a professional advisor to help you get through the claiming process. You can even agree to a No Win No Fee claim through which you won’t pay your solicitor any fees if they don’t win the case.
Some of the most known data theft methods
Some common types of data breaches have affected most small businesses in the pandemic, and you, too, should be aware of the signs of a breach regarding your art content. It’s not enough anymore to keep your files on a computer, thinking that someone can’t hack them. So, you should be aware of the following:
- Phishing attacks that come from fake sites look incredibly genuine. Third-party hackers can create websites that mirror real ones (like PayPal or Instagram) and send you an email asking you to log into your account for a necessary change. If you click on any link from that email and log in, they will have access to your account and sensitive information.
- Ransomware attacks are more straightforward. Hackers will send you a message stating that your mobile phone or computer has been hacked and ask for a fee for not revealing any sensitive information about yourself.
- Password guessing attacks are most easy to perform when people have simple passwords that anyone with little research can guess. Some people choose easy passwords to remember, like their names, their pet’s names, birthdays or other personal information, but that’s what hackers are looking for.
How to protect your work from data breaches
The consequences of a data breach are dreadful for an artist. Knowing that your art is being used and leaked when you’ve worked so hard to make it valuable is one of the worst things to happen. So, if you want to protect your compositions or paintings, here’s what you should consider doing:
- Create complex and different passwords for every account you have. The weirder it sounds and looks, the better. And don’t worry about forgetting them, because you can install a password manager. Furthermore, activate the two-factor authentication that adds a second layer of protection by requiring another login credential to gain access to your account. This will help keep your social media accounts safe, as well as your sensitive information.
- Back up your data to ensure data loss prevention. You can do this using cloud-based services that are safer than keeping your info on traditional hardware devices. At the same time, you’ll benefit from a single place for organising your files, and if you choose to pay for such services, you’ll have even more advantages.
- Keep up with recent data breaches news and information. As long as you are informed about what is happening worldwide, you’ll know what to expect and how you can protect yourself better. This way, you’ll learn how to recognise genuine emails from fake ones. Additionally, you can install security software for your computer or mobile phone to ensure better protection.
Finally, always be cautious of the people around you. You never know who wants to use your information and art to bring you down or take advantage of your vulnerabilities.