BotNet News

How Does It Happen?

Data breaches can occur when sensitive information is stolen or leaked by criminals, or unintentionally disclosed through mistakes or negligence by company staff. Stolen data can include payment card details, personal identification information like names and Social Security numbers, and more. Criminals can use this information to commit identity fraud, or sell it on the dark web to other criminals.

Some companies may also be targeted for their intellectual property, such as research, prototypes, and source code. Malicious actors might be state sponsored, hired by a competitor, or independent opportunists. Even new digital products and services have gaping security holes, and hackers are taking advantage.

Mobile phones, laptop computers, thumb drives, and office desks are all common sources of sensitive information leaks. These can be lost or stolen by attackers, or accidentally exposed through software flaws, or unpatched hardware and server vulnerabilities.

Companies might be notified that their data has been compromised, or be able to visit a website set up to allow customers, patients, and employees to check whether their personal data was involved in the breach. Shore up personal data safeguards by changing account passwords, enabling multifactor authentication for those accounts that don’t have it already, and notifying credit bureaus to advise them to issue fraud alerts and credit freezes on people’s files. Review forensic reports to find out what data was accessed, and how, then review who had access at the time of the breach. Determine if that access is needed, and limit it if not.