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Data Breach occurs when a malicious actor obtains private or confidential information from a system for malicious purposes. Attackers usually target large numbers of people because of the value of their personal or financial information, but any organization with sensitive data can be subject to a breach. Attackers often use a variety of strategies to gain access to data, including brute force attacks, on-path attacks, malware, phishing and skimming. They may also use stolen devices like laptops or smartphones to extract data.

When personal information is exposed by a cyberattack or an error on the part of your company or organisation it can be used for various purposes, most notably identity theft. For example, criminals could take your name and address to apply for credit cards or other services in your name. They could also use your social security number to steal tax refunds or to commit fraud in your name.

The main way to prevent a data breach is to have robust systems and practices in place to protect confidential and sensitive information. These should include password protection on all devices and time out functions that automatically lock devices when they haven’t been used for a certain amount of time. Your company should also encrypt data, both at rest (when not in use) and in transit (while it’s being transmitted).

If your business is aware of a breach you should immediately notify the affected individuals and consult legal counsel with privacy or data security expertise to determine state and federal laws regarding notification requirements. You will also want to work with forensics experts who can analyze backup or preserved data, and review logs to see what information was compromised.