Which process refers to the act of stealing someone's personal information for illegal activities?

The process that refers to the act of stealing someone's personal information for illegal activities is identity theft. This crime involves obtaining key pieces of someone's personal information, such as their name, Social Security number, or banking details, without their consent. The perpetrator then uses this information to commit fraud or other illegal acts, often resulting in financial loss or damage to the victim's reputation.

Understanding identity theft is crucial in today's digital age, as it highlights the importance of protecting personal information and being vigilant against cyber threats. This can include monitoring financial statements, using strong and unique passwords, and being cautious about sharing personal data online.

While terms like data mining, privacy breach, and information harvesting touch upon data practices, they do not specifically denote the criminal act of taking personal information for illicit purposes. Data mining typically refers to the analysis of large datasets to find patterns or extract valuable insights, while a privacy breach refers to unauthorized access to personal data, which may not necessarily involve identity theft itself. Information harvesting can involve collecting data for various purposes, but it doesn’t inherently imply the illegal intentions associated with identity theft.