We live in a day where our world pretty much revolves around technology. We make purchases using the internet; we have self-checkout lines at our local grocery stores, and even our vehicles use technology to get us from point A to point me. There's almost nothing that we don't use technology for. Although technology is great, using it comes with risks. Since technology has been on the scene, we've heard many stories where companies have experienced a data breach. What exactly is a data breach? Trend Micro defines a data breach as "A data breach is an incident where information is stolen or taken from a system without the knowledge or authorization of the system's owner. A small company or large organization may suffer a data breach. Stolen data may involve sensitive, proprietary, or confidential information such as credit card numbers, customer data, trade secrets, or matters of national security" (Trend Micro). In a data breach, important information is stolen and often used without the owner's knowledge, and the culprit often damages the owner's life, reputation, and other horrible things. Usually, when there's been a breach at a store, the company will notify the individuals impacted. You may ask why I am talking about data breaches and technology. Data breaches remind me of the story of Samson in the Bible.

Judges 16:6 says, "So Deliah said to Samson, "Tell me, dear, the secret of your great strength, and how you can be tied up and humbled…." This went on several times where Deliah tried to find out Samson's strength, and each time a group of men came in and tried to subdue Samson, and he always won and overpowered them. He never told her his secret weapon. Verse 16-17 says, "She kept at it day after day, nagging and tormenting him. Finally, he was fed up he couldn't take another minute of it. He spilled it. He told her, "A razor has never touched my head. I've been God's Nazirite from conception. If I were shaved, my strength would leave me… Long story short, he spilled the tea, she cut Samson's hair while he was sleeping, and she sent for the Philistines to come and attack Samson. His strength left him, and he couldn't fight against them and defeat them as he had done in the past. He experienced a data breach.

I wonder if this is true for us today. Are you talking too much? Are you giving away secrets that need to stay locked away for good or at an appointed time? Are you telling the enemy your fears, and is he using them against you? Are you participating in negative self-talk? Sometimes we participate in conversations and give up information that needs to stay private. It is like clicking a popup or going to a fraudulent website and willingly giving up your personal information. Some things need to stay private. If you are in a relationship, do not talk negatively about your significant other to your friends or family members. They will remember what you said about your significant other. I know at times when we are upset, we want people to vent to, but we have to stop doing that. We have to go to God, talk to the person, and keep people out of our relationships. Now let me put a disclaimer, If you are in an abusive relationship, do not keep those things private. I encourage you to get out of that relationship as soon as possible and tell someone you trust immediately. I'm referring to other things that may not necessarily be deal-breakers. Psalm 141:3 says, "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly]" I encourage you to pray Psalm 141:3 as a prayer. Ask God to guard your mouth and use wisdom when you speak to ensure you are not giving away secrets to the enemy.

Data breach. Definition. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2022, from https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/definition/data-breach