Why Data Breaches are Suddenly Not Surprising Anymore

Previously, data breaches were not as common, but now they seem to be everywhere, and many people feel like they happen all the time. Just within the publishing of this article, WIRED, an American magazine, recently had a breach of 2.3 million subscribers' records. Not just that, South Carolina Marquis Software Solutions had a data breach impacting about 85,000 South Carolina residents. It even extends internationally, as Coupang, a massive South Korean retail chain, had to compensate $1.1 billion to affected victims. Is everyone’s data truly safe in today’s digital world, especially since data breaches are so excessively common today, or should people stop caring?

Well, due to excessive reports and cyberattacks, many companies and victims are feeling “data breach fatigue,” initially coined as “breach fatigue” by Rik Ferguson from Trend Micro. “Data breach fatigue” happens since data breaches happen so often that many victims and individuals are less likely to take security measures to protect themselves, since “oh well, it’s inevitable.” In addition, companies start to not care as much as well, since many cybersecurity professionals see it as inevitable as well, and part of being a company, and reputationally it is not as severe since almost all companies will go through a data breach at one point in time. Well, does that mean that you shouldn’t care?

No.

It is still important for individuals to protect themselves, since the information is critical and can lead to identity theft and financial fraud in their name. If you are a victim, it is still important to immediately change passwords, allow two-factor authentication, and monitor all accounts for fraud. In addition, it is also a good idea to freeze all accounts, especially financial and bank accounts, as well as security accounts. While it is common, don’t let the “data breach fatigue” get you; hackers are not ready to wait when it comes to your identity and money.