In 2021, the highest average cost of a data breach in 17 years was recorded.
The most common cause of data breaches was theft of user credentials, in 2021.
In recent years, companies around the world have been exposed to data breaches by cybercriminals. Recently, it was reported that more than 9 million AT&T customers have been notified of a data breach that exposed information shared with the company to cybercriminals.
After the great connectivity that exists throughout the world due to digitization, data theft is very common, and according to data from the United Nations Organization (UN) in 2021, every second, 14 people around the world were victims. of a cyber attack. Given this data, it is estimated that this reality could represent up to 2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the internet black market.
Likewise, a study by the consulting firm PwC, in 2022, more than 50 percent of companies around the world expect a rebound in cyberthreats, surpassing the record for this year. Where, according to the group of managers participating in the study, the attacks that will grow the most next year are those that target cloud services and ransomware with 57 percent, followed by malware downloaded through software updates and attacks on supply chain software and corporate email at 56 percent.
The case
More than 9 million AT&T customers have been notified of a data breach that. The company reported that those using its services are likely to have received an alert detailing the attack.
According to AT&T’s data breach notification, the problem started when a third-party marketing provider was attacked by hackers earlier this year. Fortunately, much of the data sought through the leak only appears to include customers’ businesses with AT&T.
The data in the breach includes names, wireless account numbers, phone numbers, and email addresses.
While the exposed personal data may seem bland compared to other data disasters, it’s worth mentioning that information of this nature could lead to a stolen identity. The company promises that if customer information is found on the Dark Web, the affected party will be notified immediately.
In addition, the brand also requests that anyone affected be on the lookout for suspicious phishing messages and change their passwords immediately.
And this is how data breaches do not end with theft, as cybercriminals will look for other ways to exploit the situation. Anytime there is a massive data breach, so companies start to take action.
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