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Data Breach is when personal information is exposed, stolen or impermissibly disclosed. Cyberattackers can use this information for financial gain, or harm individuals and businesses. It can be caused by a variety of factors including accidental disclosure, loss or theft of unencrypted devices, hacking into a system using software vulnerabilities and social engineering attacks such as phishing. Attackers have a range of motives, from financial gain to political activism and espionage.

The most severe data breaches occur when an attacker gains access to sensitive information. This may include information such as credit card numbers, medical records and social security numbers. Some attacks may involve ransomware, in which the attackers demand payment to return data. Attackers can also sell this information on the dark web. This leaves people whose information was compromised at elevated risk of identity theft for years to come. Many states have laws requiring companies to notify those whose data was breached and some victims file lawsuits.

While data breaches appear to be on the rise, cyberattacks have been around for as long as there has been a need to store and share information digitally. Some of the first publicly-disclosed breaches occurred in the 1980s and they have become more frequent since the 1990s as technology has developed and increased.