NEWS & UPDATES

Data breaches continue to happen more and more often, and there still doesn’t seem to be all that much being done to stop them.

We don’t need to remind companies about the worst data breaches; we’re sure they’re fresh in peoples’ minds having been splashed all over the news for so long.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest data breaches as ranked by cybersecurity journalist, Anas Baig.
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The Kansas Department of Commerce’s employment service has reportedly been hacked with almost a total of 6.5 million records stolen.

The agency’s job-seeking division Job Link Alliance-TS was breached and its databases were illegally accessed. As the organisation’s nature is to help people find and apply for jobs, they hold a wealth of information including individuals’ personal contact information, résumés (CVs) and social security numbers. In the U.S, the social security number is one of the most sensitive types of information that can be stolen. With a social security number, criminals can steal a person’s identity.
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According to Help Net Security, the cost of data breaches has declined by 10% from 2016 to 2017.

It’s bizarre given that all we ever read about and hear is the increasing costs of data breaches to businesses! We should also consider the fact that 2017 isn’t over yet!

The Ponemon Institute study (sponsored by IMB Security) conducts independent research on privacy, data protection and information security policy. They aim to inform companies and organisations on how to improve their data protection initiatives and therefore enhance their reputation as a trusted organisation who are being proactive in data protection.
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In what could be the country’s largest ever data breach incident, Jio Reliance may have compromised 100 million users’ records after information was allegedly stolen and put online.

The data in question was put on an independent website called Magicapk, but has since been removed.  The information reportedly included: Full names; Mobile contact numbers; Email addresses; Aadhaar numbers; and SIM card activation dates & times.

This is one huge data breach incident; if its authenticity is to be established…
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Hard Rock Hotels & Casino has been hit by a cyber-attack that occurred through a third-party hotel reservation system.

A cyber-attack is thought to have happened on 10^th August 2016 where a hotel reservation system, run by Sabre Hospitality Solutions SynXis, was breached. When the breach was discovered, Sabre informed Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos of the breach; but this wasn’t until June 2017.

That’s a long time to pass before a breach is identified…
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According to a new study led by a researcher at a U.S. business school, large teaching hospitals are more susceptible to data breaches.

The study, led by John Hopkins Carey Business School, unsurprisingly found that 30 of the hospitals in the study had experienced data breaches at least twice since 2009. The study published in the Jama Internal Medicine Journal found that in at least one of those healthcare institutions, over four million patients’ data was compromised.
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Although data breaches have been rife for decades, the number of incidents in the U.S. increased by 40% from 2015 to 2016, according to Bloomberg Technology. This figure may be reflective of U.K. trends as well.

Eva Casey Velasquez, Chief Executive Officer of the Identity Theft Resource Centre, highlighted the crux of data breaches:

“…we are extremely confident that breaches are undiscovered and under-reported, and we don’t know the full scope.”

However, she goes onto say that it isn’t the worst-case scenario they’re looking at; it’s the best-case.
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A children’s paediatric health centre has been hacked with a wealth of personal data exposed.

Unusually, the hackers created multiple unknown user IDs to access information and no ransom was actually demanded. That being said, healthcare data can be very valuable in itself, so locking an organisation out their own systems to then mine the data is still a crime that may pay dividends to attackers.
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The healthcare industry has suffered massive breaches in both the U.K. and the U.S.; and it’s a growing problem.

Data breaches are happening all the time both here and across the pond in the U.S. In this story (which is based on figures from the U.S. but can be reflective of the U.K. too) the Breach Barometer found that nearly 1.5 million patient records were leaked in March of 2017.

The number of incidents in March reportedly rose by 2.5 times in comparison to January and February combined, with the largest incident involving nearly 700,000 patient records.
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The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued a £400,000 fine to Keurboom Communications Limited for harassing millions of people with unwanted nuisance calls.

The fine is reportedly the largest ever issued for nuisance calls. The fine brings the investigation to a close after thousands of complaints were received about the company’s nuisance calls.
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Cold calling gets on everyone’s nerves – no one wants to be hounded by companies trying to sell you something you don’t want.

Double glazing firm Brighter Homes Solutions has been fined £50,000 for nuisance calls to people who were registered on the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), which is a free service where you can register your details to opt out of marketing and nuisance calls.

Obviously, they shouldn’t have been cold calling them…
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Financial costs of data breaches do not come cheap; but how can you quantify such damage when it’s completely avoidable?

IT experts are calling for organisations to assign ‘real costs’ that are associated with breaches. There are many ways it can cost a business, from losing customers, to actual money through fraud.

There are hidden costs too, of course.
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