Data Breach Explained and Types of Data Breach
Data Breach Explained
A data breach is when sensitive information gets stolen or exposed without the knowledge of the system owner. Often, the breach occurs through a security vulnerability that a malicious third party exploits to gain access to an organization’s systems.
Data Breach Types
The most common types of data breaches involve theft of personally identifiable information (PII) and financial data. However, hackers can steal a variety of different types of information.
Hackers can also target intellectual property, medical records or other sensitive data that could be used for identity theft or fraud. Typically, these attacks are perpetrated by cybercriminals who can use the stolen data to break into accounts on other websites in what’s known as credential stuffing.
PII is typically the most valuable form of information stolen in data breaches because it can be sold or used to make fraudulent purchases. Examples of PII include names, birth dates, addresses, Social Security numbers and credit card details.
Fraudulently obtaining and selling this data can result in significant fines, litigation or reputation losses for the affected organization. The consequences of a data breach can also affect the business’s bottom line if customers are forced to replace cards, bank accounts or other sensitive personal data.
It is important to understand the risks of data breaches so you can contain and remediate them. It is also important to understand what you need to do to notify individuals in the event of a data breach, and when you need to do it.