Was My Data in the Data Breach

Dear Readers,

We’re moving further into the new year and there is still so much that hasn’t been covered from last year. Let’s look at a few of the data breaches that occurred in 2023. Also, let’s summarize what a data breach is, how they can directly affect us, and how to protect ourselves from them.

What is a Data Breach?

A data breach is a security incident involving the theft of personal information such as names, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, or other identifiers. Data breaches can occur due to various reasons, including cyberattacks like hacking or malware, as well as physical theft or accidental exposure.

Here are a few of our favorite data breaches from 2023:

Data Breach at Norton Healthcare of Louisville Kentucky:

• Norton Healthcare's ransomware attack in Kentucky exposed data of 2.5 million patients and employees, including names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, health, insurance, and medical identification numbers. Some records also had financial and government ID numbers. This incident is part of a larger trend of increasing healthcare data breaches in the U.S., with over 88 million individuals affected in various incidents this year.

Forever 21 temporarily loses data:

• Forever 21 experienced a data breach impacting over half a million people, involving unauthorized access to employee data over three months starting January 2023. The breach included names, birth dates, bank account and Social Security numbers, and details about Forever 21 health plan details. The company has taken steps to secure the data,  but details of these measures are unclear. This incident follows a previous significant data breach at Forever 21 in 2017.

MGM Casino gambles with customer data:

• MGM Resorts experienced a cybersecurity breach on September 11, 2023. Personal information accessed includes names, contact details, gender, dates of birth, driver's license numbers, and for some, social security and passport numbers. The breach occurred after MGM Resorts refused to pay a $100 ransom demand. MGM Resorts anticipates no long-term financial impact as cybersecurity insurance will cover the losses. They are offering credit monitoring and identity protection services to affected customers. They've also set up a dedicated call center and webpage for further assistance.

What does it all mean?

Your personal data is not safe anywhere. Not at work, not at the doctor, and not at the casino. If a company or organization is collecting personal information, there will be bad actors trying to steal it. Your name, social security number, and date of birth will be most helpful in the theft of your identity, the accessing of your email accounts, and attempts to access your banking information.

Next Tuesday we will cover how people are staying safe and protecting themselves in spite of these ever increasing breaches.

Stay informed,

The Help Desk

For further reading:

• Data Breaches from 2023: 

  [Link to Article]

• Data Breach at Norton Healthcare of Louisville Kentucky:

  [Link to Article]

• Forever 21 temporarily loses data::

  [Link to Article]

• MGM Casino gambles with customer data:

  [Link to Article]

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