Data breaches occur when unauthorized individuals access electronic or hard copy data. Poor data management, hacking, and theft can cause breaches, ranging from embarrassment to national security threats. Governments require companies to notify customers if a breach occurs.
A data breach is a situation where data is inadvertently released or accessed by unauthorized persons. The term is usually used in reference to electronic data breaches in which data on computers, servers, and disks falls into the wrong hands, although hard copies of data can also be subject to a data breach. Data breaches are a very serious security and safety concern everywhere, from college campuses to the depths of government intelligence agencies.
In some cases, a data breach is caused by poor data management. Someone with access to classified data could accidentally leave it in a vulnerable place, such as when a company employee accidentally leaves their laptop outside. When data is improperly protected with passwords and other security measures, even people who are not authorized to see it can access it. Sometimes, a data breach occurs simply because no one thought to protect the data.
Data breaches can also be the result of deliberate infiltration by someone who wants access to classified data. Hacking into computer systems can create a significant data breach, as the hacker can gain access to numerous databases at all security levels. Theft of data storage devices such as hard drives can also constitute a data breach, as someone may be able to access the data by breaching the security measures to access it.
Depending on the data being accessed, a data breach can range from embarrassment to a threat to national security. Commonly, data breaches involve the theft of personal information for the purpose of fraudulent applications; a data thief could take names, personal identification numbers, medical histories, addresses and other information for the purpose of identity theft, blackmail or other activities. People can also hack into a security system to obtain data to sell, such as trade secrets and national security documents, ranging from detailed architectural plans of sensitive locations to codes used to encrypt transmissions.
The rise of data breaches as more and more data was stored electronically in the early 21st century has led to a growing government response to data breaches. Many countries have laws in place requiring companies to notify customers if they are involved in a data breach. For example, if a bank’s servers are hacked, it must notify all of its customers that a breach has occurred and that it is investigating, and after an investigation, secondary notifications will be sent to directly affected customers so they can take action to protect your financial accounts and identity.
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