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Growth in settlements for data breaches

Data protection laws around the world have allowed victims of serious data breaches to claim the compensation they rightfully deserve. As the number of data breaches seems to continually be on the rise, we’re seeing some huge settlements for breaches amongst cases where data has potentially been exposed forever.

The growth in data breach settlements may well continue to rise as well unless organsations get the vital grip they need on securing their servers and protecting the data they hold.
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Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust who shared 1.6million patient information in a clinical tech trial escapes fine from the ICO

Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust who shared the data of 1.6 million patients has escaped a fine from the UK’s information watchdog… The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The Trust has instead signed an undertaking with the ICO to take certain action in order to ensure data protection rules are complied with in future. The Trust were reportedly using Google DeepMind on a clinical trial when the personal information of 1.6 million patients was shared as part of the clinical trials projects.
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Inquiry launched over University of East Anglia data leak blunder

The University of East Anglia (UEA) are facing an investigation over the shocking data breach that saw a number of students have their personal circumstances emailed directly to hundreds of fellow course mates.

The document listed extenuating circumstances of a number of students explaining why certain students were authorised to have an extension on assignments, postpone exams and take time off their course.

Some of the reasons included death or a family member, personal medical and mental health issues, and even sexual assault.
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Healthcare sector takes the number one spot for the sector with the most data breaches in the U.K.

Some might wonder why banking isn’t at the top. Surely, that’s where the big bucks are at?

But if you’ve been keeping up with our blogs, you’ll know that healthcare is not only a bigger target, but also one that can be easier for breaches to occur. It’s no secret that our National Health Service is struggling under immense pressure with increased patient numbers, continual budgets cuts, and “overworked and underpaid” staff.

With these financial struggles comes the inability to afford top quality cyber security and updated operating systems; leaving the healthcare system wide open to breaches and attacks.
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FTC prove that cyber-hackers can access and use breached data within 9 minutes of it being posted

I’m sure many are curious to find out where and how their data is used after hackers gain access to their information. According to a recent study, hackers are reportedly able to use leaked data within 9 minutes of it being posted.

Mr Salsburg, chief counsel and acting chief of research and investigation project at the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), reiterated the mysteriousness of what happens to data when it’s publicised:

“…there’s a real mystery of what happens to consumer data when it becomes public.”

But the dangers of how quickly it can be used are evident.
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Data leaks caused by mobile phone devices

Many people forget the associated risks that portable digital devices come with. Many may have a false sense of security that computers are the main source of data breaches, but some may be quick to disregard mobile phones as a huge danger for leaking data.

Security researchers note the increased dangers of data leaks as more employees bring their own devices to work. If employees bring their own devices to the workplace, you can count this as an additional avenue for a breach to happen. Mobile devices are easily connected and employees are often allowed to connect mobile devices to their work servers to assist when working in or outside of the office.

You can see it either as another door for a data breach to happen or an opportunity to get inside as the door has been left open or is now weak enough to break in to…
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OneLogin’s data breach – Just how serious was it?

There’s a big demand for cyber security globally as the rise of the digital age continues to pave the way for data breaches, leaks and hacks on an almost continual basis.

Yet despite the rise in cyber security that goes hand in hand with the rise of cybercrime, it seems multiple companies and organisations are still failing in their obligations to protect data securely. In recent news, one of San Francisco Bay area’s most established companies has been hacked, potentially affecting thousands worldwide.
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Peyta ransomware originating in Ukraine has crippled production in Australia as it spreads across the globe.

New malicious software is feared to be highly virulent creating international chaos and disrupting businesses and companies across the globe.

First reports of the cyber-attack originated from the Ukraine; their Government, banks, power and major public transport systems were all affected.

In Australia at 9:30pm on Thursday 27 June 2017, owner of Cadbury chocolate Mondelez was hit by the ransomware with employees faced with a threatening note demanding payment for the safe return of files in an attack similar to the recent WannaCry attack earlier this May.
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77 million user account details hacked from popular education platform Edmodo

Reports of the recent Edmodo data breach inform us that around 77 million unique user account details were stolen from the popular education platform.

This online platform is widely used throughout U.S. and Canadian schools to support learning by allowing students, teachers and parents to access learning plans and homework. Media outlet Motherboard reported that nearly 77 million users account details were for sale on the dark web.
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Work-assigned mobile devices are increasing cyber security risks for organisations

Laptops, phones and tablets are more and more common inside the workplace and out, allowing employees to present information easily, or work outside of the workplace. Company directors are also aware that it’s very common for employees to use such devices for other things like watching videos, reading news, entertainment purposes and accessing social media.

Whether these devices are used for professional or personal use, one thing remains the same: “an enterprise’s security is only as strong as its weakest link”.

These devices can often be the weakest link…
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