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Identity Theft Labs

Data Breaches

Ok, we don’t write about data breaches too much anymore…. quite frankly, we couldn’t keep up if we wanted to….. not when there are a couple hundred each year. Occasionally we talk about a large one or one that received media attention here. For a chronology of data breaches please see DataLossDB.

Please see our identity theft protection reviews to learn about the companies that can help protect you from identity theft even if your information was exposed in a data breach.

Sony Pictures Hacked, Five Unreleased Movies Torrented

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Sony Pictures’ computer system was hacked showing evidence of destructive malware. Annie, Fury, Mr. Turner, Still Alice, and To Write Love On Her Arms, all unreleased motion pictures by Sony, were found uploaded onto Torrent sites. While there is no concrete evidence, there is a belief that North Korea might have been behind the breach. For more on this story, click here:: Sony Pictures Hack – 5 Things You Need to Know

Banks Hitting the Target with Breach Suits

A ruling in a Minnesota District Court related to the data breach at Target department stores has given banks the right to pursue damages. Judge Paul A. Magnuson ruled that Target displayed negligence by ignoring and in some cases turning off security features that could have prevent the breach. For more info on this story, click here:: Banks Get Green Light in Target Breach Suits

44 Civil Lawsuits Levied at Home Depot Over Data Snafu

Home Depot recently revealed that they are facing at least 44 civil lawsuits in the U.S. and Canada stemming from its data breach that occurred earlier this year. State and federal agencies are also investigating the company that could also cost the big box hardware store some additional fines for negligence. For more details on this story, please click here:: Home Depot hit with “at least 44 civil lawsuits” due to data breach

Over ¾ of Companies Don’t Update Data Breach Response Plans Annually

A recent study has shown that the majority of businesses and companies don’t have plans in place to regularly update their cybersecurity despite a year of very public data breaches. Only 22% of businesses and companies review and update their data breach response plans at least once per year. The remaining percentage either has no set time period for updating their plans or haven’t reviewed or updated their data breach response plans since they were put into place!

With all the attention on the data breaches at Home Depot, Target, and other big box stores along with the reports of health care data being compromised at hospitals, that these companies would take notice and improve. As a consumer, now you must do what you can to protect your data since these companies are in a state of catch-up. You can certainly do your part by staying alert of potential identity theft threats along with writing emails to the corporate offices of the stores you shop at to air your concerns. For more information on this troubling trend, click here:: The persistent threat of data breaches
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Why IT Teams Appreciate Data Breach Coverage

While many companies and businesses don’t like the negative attention of data breaches, their IT teams welcome it. Many of them believe that the bad press forces their employers to listen and cater to their needs so that the company doesn’t fall prey to the data troubles companies like Home Depot and Target have gone through. For more on what IT teams are thankful for, click here:: 10 Ways Security Gurus Give Thanks