Where there’s data, there will be criminals looking to steal and profit from it.

Data breaches are an almost-constant threat in today's digital world, with cybercriminals finding new ways to infiltrate systems and steal sensitive information from companies and individuals.

As we approach the end of Q1, we’re looking at four major data breaches that occurred in March.

Let’s delve into what happened, why it happened, and what companies are doing to prevent similar breaches in the future.

Latitude

Latitude Financial, a financial services company in Australia and New Zealand, experienced a data breach that resulted in the theft of 14 million customer records.

The breach occurred when a third-party supplier's IT system was compromised, providing access to Latitude's data. The stolen data included sensitive information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, and credit card details.

This incident highlights the importance of managing third-party risks and ensuring that vendors maintain robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data.

To prevent similar breaches in the future, Latitude is taking several steps, including enhancing its cybersecurity measures, reviewing its third-party supplier management protocols, and implementing additional monitoring and detection tools.

Ferrari

Ferrari suffered a data breach in March due to a vulnerability in one of their software systems. Cybercriminals exploited this vulnerability to gain unauthorised access to Ferrari's systems and steal confidential data, including customer information and company secrets.

“We regret to inform you of a cyber incident at Ferrari, where a threat actor was able to access a limited number of systems in our IT environment,” Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said in a letter sent to affected customers.

This attack emphasises the need to safeguard sensitive data from malicious actors.
To prevent a similar breach in the future, Ferrari is implementing multi-factor authentication, encryption, and monitoring tools to detect and respond to any suspicious activity.

They are also conducting regular vulnerability assessments and security audits to identify and address potential weaknesses in their IT infrastructure. Ferrari said that after receiving the ransom demand, the amount of which remains unknown, it started an investigation with a third-party cybersecurity company.

OpenAI

OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence research organisation, experienced a data breach that resulted in the unauthorised disclosure of sensitive information.

The breach occurred due to an employee's mistake, where they accidentally posted confidential company information on a public GitHub repository.

The information included personal project plans and internal communications. This highlights the importance of implementing strict data handling policies and providing regular security training to employees to prevent human error.

To prevent similar breaches in the future, OpenAI is implementing additional security controls and conducting a comprehensive review of its data handling policies.

They are also increasing their focus on employee training to ensure that all staff members understand the importance of protecting sensitive data and the measures they can take to prevent data breaches.

Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A confirmed a data breach that impacted customers at certain restaurants in the United States.

The breach occurred when a third-party vendor managing Chick-fil-A's gift card and app system was hacked, exposing sensitive customer information such as names, mailing addresses, and balances.

Like Latitude, this attack highlights the importance of managing third-party risks and ensuring vendors maintain robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data.

They have now implemented additional security controls and are comprehensively reviewing their third-party supplier management protocols. They also advised affected customers to monitor their accounts for unauthorised activity and offered free credit monitoring services.

What can we learn from these breaches?

If it wasn’t clear, data breaches can have severe consequences for organisations and individuals alike, including financial loss and damage to reputation.

Companies must prioritise cybersecurity and take proactive measures to protect their customer's sensitive data from mistakes that could be easily avoided.

By taking these measures, your organisation can help prevent data breaches and maintain the trust of your customers.

How Bob’s Business can help protect your organisation

Given the rise in frequency and complexity of cyber threats, it’s increasingly important to give employees in an organisation the appropriate training and awareness of cybersecurity measures.

Winners of “Most Trusted Cybersecurity Training Provider 2023”, we offer engaging short-form eLearning modules designed to educate and train employees on the most effective cybersecurity practices to avoid human error.

If you want to learn more about our products and how we can help protect your organisation against data breaches, don't hesitate to contact us today.