This year has witnessed significant data breaches that have proven costly for numerous businesses. Cybercriminals have been actively targeting high-profile companies throughout 2024, demonstrating that even the largest organizations are not safe from online threats.
The reality that we all have to face is that anyone can fall victim to cyberattacks, highlighting the urgent need for better security measures for both individuals and businesses.
The major breaches of 2024 offer valuable insights and there is a lot to learn and unpack, especially for small businesses. So let’s look at some ways you can strengthen your defenses against cybercriminals.
In this article, we’ll explore those lessons together. So grab your favorite latte, and let’s dive in!
AT&T Data Breach
In April of this year (2024), almost all AT&T customers were affected by a third party’s illegal download of their call and text records. Unfortunately, this was not AT&T’s only attack for 2024. Just a month prior, in March, some data-specific fields were also leaked on the dark web. According to AT&T, the data that was leaked contained personal information, such as social security numbers and other personal identifying information.
AT&T is uncertain whether that data originated from AT&T or one of its vendors. Given AT&T’s reputable business, there’s a lot there to unpack.
For the second attack in April, AT&T reports that if you’re an AT&T customer with mobile phone services and you had your account with them between May 2022 and January 2023, then you can consider your records stolen. Although scary, this goes to show that data breaches can happen at any time to any business, regardless of its size or reputation.
Ticketmaster
This particular breach with Ticketmaster, one of the largest ticket distribution companies, occurred in May 2024. It compromised the personal and financial information of more than 560 million customers.
In April and May, hackers were able to get access to the company’s database, stealing sensitive data, including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and payment details. Of course, this incident revealed some vulnerabilities in Ticketmaster’s security setup, causing consumers to have concerns. To the dismay of many affected individuals, there were reports that some unauthorized transactions took place on their accounts, and there were some instances of identity theft in the aftermath.
As a result of all of this, there are legal challenges facing Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation, which was already involved in a lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice over market monopolization for the live concert industry.
Dell
In September 2024, Dell was a victim of a minor data breach that exposed the personally identifiable information of over 10,000 employees. The information in those records included the employees’ full names, their status, and internal IDs.Â
What this does essentially is poses a significant risk to Dell, as hackers can impersonate employees, which makes it difficult for real staff members to determine if they’re speaking with a real colleague or an impersonator. If the hacker or cyber-criminal is able to successfully pull this off, this can in fact expose Dell to a plethora of risks, such as phishing, financial fraud as well as access to propriety information.
Dell is aware of the breach and is looking into the alleged breach.
National Public Data
This data breach is widely regarded as one of the largest, if not the largest, in history. In April 2024, National Public Data, a company specializing in background checks and fraud prevention, fell victim to a massive cyberattack that exposed the personal information of billions of individuals.
Initially, the company was reluctant to fully disclose the scale of the breach. However, a deeper investigation revealed that the personal data of over 2.9 billion people had been compromised. The breach came to light after the stolen database appeared on the dark web, where a threat actor put it up for sale, revealing that it contained data from National Public Data, and confirming the staggering figure of 2.9 billion affected records.
The exposed data included sensitive personal details such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, and physical addresses.
In the wake of the breach, National Public Data faced numerous lawsuits, ultimately leading the company to file for bankruptcy.
What Does This Mean for You and Your Business?
While these breaches happened to major players, small to midsize businesses are not far from the radar. SMBs are increasingly targeted because they often lack the robust security measures that larger companies have. Cybercriminals know this and are looking to take full advantage of it. A single breach could cost your business thousands in downtime, lost data, and even damaged reputation.
These facts aren’t meant to scare you, but rather to inform you of what has been going on in the cybercrime space.
If these stories have you thinking about your vulnerabilities, that’s good. The best defense is a proactive one. We can evaluate your network for potential risks and make the recommendations needed to get your business in the right direction.
We’ll assess your vulnerabilities, help you patch the holes, and ensure your business is fortified against attacks.
If your business needs proactive cybersecurity, contact our office by going here, or call us at 571-498-8208.