February has come and gone and it was a busy month for cyber criminals and those affected by cyber crime and data breaches.  So often we talk about the cost of a data breach or the spiraling effect of a lost or stolen device.  Many companies don’t see the threat, since why would they be a target?  Whether you’re a big name like Forbes.com or a target of opportunity who turned their back on a laptop, the threat is out there and there’s no time like now to protect your company data!

As you read these keep in mind that current studies show the average cost per record compromised is $175.

Here’s a partial list of cyber attacks and data breaches in February:

• Nielsen employee accidentally sent out a mass email containing employee data including social security numbers.
• Lost thumb drive compromises records of 3598 Texas cancer center patients.
• Mt. Gox, Bitcoin exchange, files for bankruptcy after hackers reportedly steal over $400 million in Bitcoins.
• YouTube ads found to be spreading a version of the Caphaw banking Trojan malware.
• Easter Seal Society of Superior California employee’s laptop stolen from a vehicle, personal information of 3026 individuals compromised.
• St. Joseph Health System in Texas hacked, over 400,000 patients and employees personal information compromised.
• Laptop stolen at St. Vincent’s Indianapolis hospital, 1100 patient’s information compromised.
• Kickstarter crowdfunding site hacked – passwords and phone numbers stolen.
• University of Maryland hacked: 309,079 students, alumni and staff’s personal information compromised.
• Forbes.com reportedly hacked by Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), defacing several pages.

 

 

 

 

 

Image from Forbes.com website after SEA hacking.

 

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