Learning from Data Breaches

The British Computer Society (BCS) has recently published the biggest data leaks of 2023.  The leaks cover worldwide cyber attacks, but the lessons learned apply to organisations of all types all around the world.  The data breaches include The Guardian Newspaper, LastPass password manager, Royal Mail, MOVEit, Microsoft, The UK Electoral Commission.

The following are still of vital importance and key lessons to learn from the data breaches:

• System backups
• Maintaining fully patched software
• Educating the workforce to recognise social engineering  in all its forms.  Phishing are other forms of social engineering are still the most likely initial points of entry for hackers.
• Reviewing third-party providers of software and services should also be both a priority and an ongoing process (e.g MOVEit breaches).
• Reviewing your organisation's protocols for dealing with basic breaches and a full blown cyber attack should be a priority.

Remember if suffer a cyber attack, as with any emergency, speed and understanding what immediate actions to take (and what not to do) to preserve evidence, could make the difference between a quickly contained breach and a lengthy struggle with untold consequences, both financial and reputational.

The full blog and details of the breaches can be viewed: The biggest cyber attacks of 2023
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