Data breaches are becoming all too common, with hackers breaching about 4,800 websites each month. This can lead to costly consequences for individuals, including the theft of identities and compromising of bank accounts. Companies such as CafePress and Marriott have suffered data breaches, with millions of names, addresses, security questions, and social security numbers exposed.
There’s a reason that browsers like Edge have added breached password notifications. Data breaches are an unfortunate part of life. And can have costly consequences for individuals. Hackers can steal identities and compromise bank accounts, just to name a couple.
Cybercriminals breach about 4,800 websites every month with form jacking code. It has become all too common to hear of a large hotel chain or social media company exposing customer data.
Hackers can breach your personal information and passwords without you knowing it. And the time from breach to notification of the breach can be lengthy. One example is the data breach of CafePress. This is a popular online retailer that prints personalized items.
CafePress suffered a data breach in February 2019. That breach exposed millions of names and addresses, security questions, and more. Hackers also breached social security numbers that weren’t encrypted.
As mentioned, the breach happened in February. But many consumers weren’t notified until late summer. The FTC recently took action against the company. This was due to its careless security practices.
The point is that months or years can go by without you knowing about compromised data. Unless you happen to look at the right website, you may not even realize it. Those breached password features in browsers are helpful. But what if you have other information beyond a password compromised?
It’s best to protect yourself with some knowledge. We’ll help by listing several recent breaches. If you’ve interacted with any of these companies, you’ll want to take steps to protect yourself from the fallout.
On October 19, 2022, Microsoft announced that a misconfigured server had led to the exposure of customer data, potentially affecting more than 65,000 entities worldwide.
Microsoft data breach exposes customers’ contact info, emails (bleepingcomputer.com)
EdFinancial and the Oklahoma Student Loan Authority (OSLA) notified impacted individuals in July 2022 of a breach that compromised the personal information of over 2.5 million loan recipients, including social security numbers, email addresses, home addresses, and phone numbers.
U-Haul notified clients in August 2022 of a compromise of rental contracts between November 5, 2021, and April 5, 2022, exposing the names, driver’s license numbers, and state identification numbers of over 2.2 million individuals.
Cryptocurrency may be hot at the moment, but it’s very susceptible to cyberattacks. In January 2022, over 483 users had their Crypto.com wallets breached.
The criminals made it past two-factor authentication, which is usually quite effective. They stole about $18 million in bitcoin and $15 million in Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies.
The Optus breach of 2022 was a major cybersecurity incident that occurred in Australia. Despite the significant impact it had on the personal data of hundreds of thousands of Optus customers, the incident has since been mostly forgotten by the public. This can be attributed to the constant stream of cybersecurity breaches and data scandals that occur each year, as well as a general desensitization to the issue. Additionally, Optus’ handling of the situation and their prompt response to the breach, including compensating affected customers and implementing stronger security measures, may have contributed to the public’s perception that the issue had been resolved. However, it serves as a reminder that companies must always remain vigilant in protecting their customers’ sensitive information, as data breaches can have far-reaching and long-lasting consequences.
Optus: How a massive data breach has exposed Australia – BBC News
In conclusion, cyber security is of utmost importance in today’s digital age. Protecting personal identifying information from malicious actors is crucial to prevent identity theft, fraud and other cybercrimes. As a next-gen IT service provider, Spark Computers is committed to ensuring the safety of its clients’ information by using advanced systems and processes to safeguard their data. With Spark Computers, clients can have peace of mind knowing their information is in safe hands.
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