SolarWinds hackers hit Microsoft
The infamous SolarWinds data breach made headlines a few years back, in which a Russian cyber crime group breached the US Treasury and Commerce departments through an IT security vendor called SolarWinds. Over a hundred private companies were also affected. The ripples from that incident extended well beyond the initial breach, which we covered thoroughly…. Read More
Medical and Genetic Data Targeted in Breaches
A new healthcare data breach is making the headlines. The subject: the analytics software vendor HealthEC, whose platform is used by more than a million healthcare professionals across 18 states. The goods: medical records containing the protected health information (PHI) of 4.52 million people, according to a report to the Department of Health and Human… Read More
Securing vulnerable databases
If you’re an organization that handles personal data, then you use a database to store it. Whatever variety this may be, whether SQL Server or other, as with all components of data collection, these databases are vulnerable to compromise, intentional or accidental. One database management system, MongoDB, recently announced a data breach against its corporate… Read More
All personally identifiable data is crucial
Data breaches come in all shapes and sizes, but all are serious incidents. When personal information that can affect people’s daily lives is at stake, no breach can be ignored. That said, there are of course some where the subject might appear a bit lighter than others. Take the recent breach that hit Hershey in… Read More
Data breaches during a supply chain shortage
Recent years have seen supply chain shortages in the realm of products like mobile devices and automotive vehicles. Often this has been due to a lack of components like semiconductor chips, which are used in these products and can thus impact things like public transportation. Not only that, but in the event of such a… Read More
Healthcare data risks in the supply chain
The healthcare industry encompasses all sorts of entities, beyond hospitals and medical device providers. These firms make use of third party vendors that provide various services. Truepill, a digital health startup company, is the most recent example of this. A startup that provides certain pharmaceutical management services to healthcare organizations, Truepill revealed that hackers had… Read More
New FTC Breach Notification Rule
The nature and nuances of data breach regulations are ever evolving. Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved a new amendment that requires non-banking financial firms to report certain breaches to the FTC itself. This is an amendment to the agency’s existing Safeguards Rule, which is a standard string of measures meant to protect… Read More
Compromised voter data
It’s hard to imagine more sensitive personal data than voter information. Not only does it have the same potential for identity theft as other types, it can of course impact elections. Back in March, hackers stole data from Washington D.C.’s health insurance platform – DC Health Link – including information from several Congress members. Following… Read More
Genetic data in the hands of cyber criminals
Following on the announcement of the 23andMe data breach, it’s important to explore just what makes this incident so serious. Consider how much we emphasize the value of one’s personal data. Cyber criminals go after organizations across all industries to crack open databases and get at the juicy information within. It doesn’t get much more… Read More
Sony breaches and how to keep your data safe
Between charging a full $60 for a cosmetic console cover, to revealing not one but two recent data breaches that compromised customer information, Sony hasn’t had the most flattering week. An ongoing Sony investigation into claims that a ransomware group called RansomedVC had accessed the company systems and planned to sell stolen data, resulted in… Read More