This year, cybercriminals have targeted companies across various industries, leading to massive data breaches that cost millions. Healthcare giants, ticketing platforms, and even telecommunications providers faced major breaches, revealing how vulnerabilities can put millions of individuals—and businesses—at risk. But what do these breaches mean for small to midsize businesses? While the scale may differ, the vulnerabilities are very real and neglecting them could have serious consequences.
Let’s explore five of the most significant breaches in 2024 and discuss the steps your business can take to strengthen its defenses.
1. National Public Data
Earlier this year, hackers reportedly stole 2.7 billion personal records from a public data-brokering site, including Social Security numbers and addresses. Much of this data has surfaced on the dark web, putting millions of people at risk of identity theft. For individuals and businesses, a practical step to safeguard against fraud is to freeze credit, which can block unauthorized access to financial accounts.
What You Can Do: Check if your information was compromised on sites like npd.pentester.com and HaveIBeenPwned.com.
2. Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster suffered a breach that exposed the personal and financial information of over 560 million customers, leading to unauthorized charges and cases of identity theft. This incident revealed significant security gaps in Ticketmaster’s payment data protection and access controls, raising concerns among consumers and regulators alike.
Key Takeaway: Protecting customer data, especially financial information, is essential. By investing in data encryption, monitoring for unusual activity, and updating access controls regularly, your business can reduce risks significantly. For small to midsize businesses, these steps not only safeguard customer trust but also help avoid the financial and reputational impact of a data breach.
Practical steps, like multi-factor authentication, regularly reviewing who has access to sensitive data, and encrypting payment details, can make a real difference in keeping your business secure.
3. Change Healthcare
In one of the largest healthcare data breaches to date, Change Healthcare experienced a ransomware attack that compromised the personal information of over 145 million people. This incident affected not only patients but also providers and insurers, reminding us all of the importance of strong cybersecurity measures, especially in handling sensitive data.
Key Takeaway: Implementing a multi-layered security approach is essential, particularly for businesses that handle client data.
4. AT&T
In March, AT&T faced a breach affecting about 73 million customers, with data going as far back as 2019 resurfacing on the dark web. This highlights the risks associated with storing outdated data without sufficient protection. For small businesses, minimizing data retention and regularly purging old files are best practices to lower potential exposure.
What You Can Do: Assess your data retention policies and reduce any unnecessary storage of outdated client information.
5. Dell
A brute-force attack on a Dell reseller portal exposed 49 million customer records, raising concerns about Dell’s cybersecurity measures. Following the incident, Dell faced public and regulatory pressure to improve security.
What You Can Do: Take a cue here by implementing stronger password policies and using multi-factor authentication (MFA) to prevent unauthorized access.
What Does This Mean For You Personally?
We've previously blogged on what to do if you’re affected by a data breach, however, this is of critical importance and bears repeating. A series of simple steps can have resounding effects. By first taking the time to determine if you have been a victim to one of these breaches helps you make educated decisions moving forward. Arguably the most important step of all is to freeze your credit and check your bank account. Request free copies of your credit report from each of the prime three credit reporting agencies (Experien, TransUnion, and Equifax) to get a picture of your financial health, and also to determine if a threat actor has compromised your identity.
Why This Matters for Your Business
These incidents underscore a hard truth: no business, big or small, is immune to cyber threats. Small to midsize businesses are particularly vulnerable because they often lack the robust security infrastructure that large enterprises have. Cybercriminals know this and increasingly target smaller businesses with weaker defenses. For an SMB, a single breach can lead to significant financial loss, reputational damage, and operational downtime.
Protect Your Business with a Free Security Risk Assessment
If these cases raise concerns about your own network’s security, taking proactive steps can make all the difference. We’re here to help with a FREE Security Risk Assessment—a chance to identify your network’s vulnerabilities and develop a plan to address them before they’re exploited. Our team will assess your cybersecurity gaps, provide recommendations, and support your business in becoming more resilient to potential threats.
Don’t wait until you’re the next headline – get your FREE Security Risk Assessment today! Click here to schedule or call our office at 413-786-9675.