Although cybersecurity defenses worldwide have been amped up in recent years, data breaches and cyberattacks are still big business. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), data breaches have increased by 14 percent from last year. Looking back, there was a 68 percent increase in breaches from 2020 to 2021, which was huge. Although the year isn't over, several significant data breaches and cyberattacks have occurred.
What Data Breaches Were Most Significant in 2022?
Cyber security is crucial for any business these days. While many examples you will find below affected enterprises, countless small businesses are impacted daily by the same issues. Thankfully, Small Technology Enterprises is here to partner with you for all your cyber security needs. Our innovative and essential services are an excellent match for any business. From managed IT services to Security & Compliance systems, we have a variety of solutions to help keep your company safe from cyber-attacks.
4. GiveSendGo Political Data Breach
GiveSendGo was hacked in February 2022 in a way that redirected fundraising pages to pages that instead spoke against their objective. The hacker also used the opportunity to publish the personal information of about 90,000 donors who had contributed to the website. Companies need to use professional security to ensure that this doesn't happen so easily to their websites.
5. Marquard & Bahls Supply Chain Breach
Another massive data breach occurred for this German business when its IT infrastructure was attacked. This caused over 200 gas stations to close, impacting other companies (known as a supply chain attack). As oil remains a hot topic for many, these companies may continue to be targeted.
9. Red Cross Data Breach
Over 500,000 people were affected when the Red Cross was attacked in January. The servers that were hacked had personal data stored on them, and it caused these servers to be taken offline. In this breach, hackers targeted an external company that the Red Cross contracts to maintain their data.
10. Ronin Network Crypto Theft
Ronin is a blockchain gaming platform that uses cryptocurrency. As the game grew in popularity, it turned out that security protocols were reduced. In turn, cybercriminals were able to steal $625 in cryptocurrency. This reminds us not to reduce security standards even if it seems like a reasonable course to take.
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How to Prevent Data Breaches
Currently, the top targeted companies of cyber-attacks seem to be healthcare institutions, financial service companies, manufacturers, and other utility providers. Most data breaches come from phishing and ransomware attacks, but malware, credential stuffing, and unsecured cloud tools can also be causes.
Data breaches can be extremely debilitating. Regardless of why they occur, learning lessons from these unfortunate events is vital. First, it has been shown that some hackers leave a secret window for accessing a company's systems more quickly after being successful the first time. Rather than waiting for them to try again, patch any vulnerabilities as soon as they are discovered.
Weak passwords can provide an easy way for hackers to get in. Be sure that passwords are strong and that employees aren't visiting malicious links or phishing sites. Take a few extra moments to teach your employees about what these might look like and how to be responsible regarding internet safety.
Malware is often used when hackers attack. A variety of malware can steal confidential information stored in an organization's network system. You can help prevent this by establishing monitoring protocols and ways to report suspicious activities.
Why Choose Small Enterprise Technology?
Small Enterprise Technology was founded to provide its clients with a professional, first-class customer experience. Their goal is to be your technology partner, not just another IT helpdesk. Reach out to a customer representative with any further inquiries. To learn more about how Small Enterprise Technology can help your business stay protected from data leakages and loss, call or contact us today to get started!