Understanding Global Data Security Risks

The 2025 Verizon Business Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) is here, and it delivers critical insights into the shifting cybersecurity landscape. For Enterprise and Public Sector business decision-makers, understanding these trends is crucial for protecting your organizations and the communities we serve. Here are some key findings from the report that rose to the top for me: - Exploitation of Vulnerabilities Surges: A 34% increase in vulnerability exploitation, with a focus on zero-day exploits targeting perimeter devices and VPNs, demands heightened vigilance and proactive patching strategies. - Ransomware Remains a Persistent Threat: Ransomware attacks have risen by 37%, now present in 44% of breaches. Enterprise and Public Sector entities must bolster their defenses and incident response capabilities. - Third-Party Risks Double: Breaches involving third parties have doubled, highlighting the critical importance of supply chain security and robust vendor management programs. - Espionage-Motivated Attacks Rise: We're seeing an alarming rise in espionage-motivated attacks in sectors like Manufacturing and Healthcare, as well as persistent threats in Education, Finance, and Retail. Public Sector entities are also at risk. - Credential Abuse Continues: Credential abuse remains a leading attack vector, emphasizing the need for strong authentication, multi-factor authentication, and continuous monitoring. For Enterprise and Public Sector organizations, these findings underscore the need for a multi-layered defense strategy, including: - Robust Vulnerability Management: Implement timely patching and vulnerability scanning. - Enhanced Security Awareness Training: Address the human element and reduce susceptibility to social engineering. - Strengthened Third-Party Risk Management: Thoroughly vet and monitor vendors and partners. - Advanced Threat Detection and Response: Invest in technologies and processes to detect and respond to threats quickly. The 2025 DBIR provides actionable insights to help us navigate these challenges. To dive deeper into the findings and learn how to enhance your organization's security posture, visit: https://lnkd.in/eXdHUYVM #Cybersecurity #DataBreach #EnterpriseSecurity #PublicSector #DBIR #Ransomware #ThreatIntelligence #VerizonBusiness #PublicSectorSecurity Verizon Jonathan Nikols | Daniel Lawson | Robert Le Busque | Sanjiv Gossain | Maggie Hallbach | Don Mercier | Chris Novak | Alistair Neil | Ashish Khanna | Alex Pinto | David Hylender | Suzanne Widup | Philippe Langlois | Nasrin Rezai | Iris Meijer

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency together with the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Cyber Security Centre, and other international organizations, published this advisory providing recommendations for organizations in how to protect the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the data used to train and operate #artificialintelligence. The advisory focuses on three main risk areas: 1. Data #supplychain threats: Including compromised third-party data, poisoning of datasets, and lack of provenance verification. 2. Maliciously modified data: Covering adversarial #machinelearning, statistical bias, metadata manipulation, and unauthorized duplication. 3. Data drift: The gradual degradation of model performance due to changes in real-world data inputs over time. The best practices recommended include: - Tracking data provenance and applying cryptographic controls such as digital signatures and secure hashes. - Encrypting data at rest, in transit, and during processing—especially sensitive or mission-critical information. - Implementing strict access controls and classification protocols based on data sensitivity. - Applying privacy-preserving techniques such as data masking, differential #privacy, and federated learning. - Regularly auditing datasets and metadata, conducting anomaly detection, and mitigating statistical bias. - Securely deleting obsolete data and continuously assessing #datasecurity risks. This is a helpful roadmap for any organization deploying #AI, especially those working with limited internal resources or relying on third-party data.

As technology becomes the backbone of modern business, understanding cybersecurity fundamentals has shifted from a specialized skill to a critical competency for all IT professionals. Here’s an overview of the critical areas IT professionals need to master:  Phishing Attacks   - What it is: Deceptive emails designed to trick users into sharing sensitive information or downloading malicious files.   - Why it matters: Phishing accounts for over 90% of cyberattacks globally.   - How to prevent it: Implement email filtering, educate users, and enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA).  Ransomware   - What it is: Malware that encrypts data and demands payment for its release.   - Why it matters: The average ransomware attack costs organizations millions in downtime and recovery.   - How to prevent it: Regular backups, endpoint protection, and a robust incident response plan.  Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks   - What it is: Overwhelming systems with traffic to disrupt service availability.   - Why it matters: DoS attacks can cripple mission-critical systems.   - How to prevent it: Use load balancers, rate limiting, and cloud-based mitigation solutions.  Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks   - What it is: Interception and manipulation of data between two parties.   - Why it matters: These attacks compromise data confidentiality and integrity.   - How to prevent it: Use end-to-end encryption and secure protocols like HTTPS.  SQL Injection   - What it is: Exploitation of database vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access or manipulate data.   - Why it matters: It’s one of the most common web application vulnerabilities.   - How to prevent it: Validate input and use parameterized queries.  Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)   - What it is: Injection of malicious scripts into web applications to execute on users’ browsers.   - Why it matters: XSS compromises user sessions and data.   - How to prevent it: Sanitize user inputs and use content security policies (CSP).  Zero-Day Exploits   - What it is: Attacks that exploit unknown or unpatched vulnerabilities.   - Why it matters: These attacks are highly targeted and difficult to detect.   - How to prevent it: Regular patching and leveraging threat intelligence tools.  DNS Spoofing   - What it is: Manipulating DNS records to redirect users to malicious sites.   - Why it matters: It compromises user trust and security.   - How to prevent it: Use DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) and monitor DNS traffic.  Why Mastering Cybersecurity Matters   - Risk Mitigation: Proactive knowledge minimizes exposure to threats.   - Organizational Resilience: Strong security measures ensure business continuity.   - Stakeholder Trust: Protecting digital assets fosters confidence among customers and partners.  The cybersecurity landscape evolves rapidly. Staying ahead requires regular training, and keeping pace with the latest trends and technologies.  

By now we’ve all heard the news that hackers leaked nearly 3 billion data records with Social Security numbers from National Public Data.   The unfortunate reality is that we can expect more breaches of this nature. This is due to a combination of increasingly sophisticated attacks as well as still insufficient protection of many enterprises. What is in our control – at the individual and organizational level – is how we protect against these threats and how we respond to them when they do occur to lessen their impact.   There have been more than 1,500 data breaches reported in the first half of 2024, a 14% increase from the same period last year. It’s no surprise then that 58% of consumers are more fearful of becoming a victim of fraud now than they were two years ago, according to the 2024 Telesign Trust Index report.   What we know from our research at Telesign is most people rely on the organizations they interact with to protect them against such threats. This breach should serve as a critical wake-up call for businesses.   Our digital world runs on trust, and how organizations protect against these threats has profound implications on the level of trust their customers have in their digital infrastructure and how they think about their businesses as a whole.   This breach reinforces the necessity of adopting a multi-layered security strategy:   ▶️ Ensuring that data collection processes are transparent and compliant with global data protection regulations — especially when handling sensitive information.   ▶️ Embracing appropriate friction in online experience. Implementing advanced encryption, real-time fraud detection, and MFA are essential steps in mitigating risks. Despite being seen as a nuisance in the past, 8 out of 10 people now welcome the added security, according to Telesign’s Trust Index.   ▶️ Providing far better training for IT teams and all employees so they can better identify fraudulent activity and follow internal policies to stop the rising tide of digital crime. Fraudsters are incredibly savvy and think of any employee as a potential entry point into an organization’s digital infrastructure.   This incident is a powerful reminder that data security is not just an IT issue. It is a business imperative with profound implications at the organizational and societal level.

Ever wonder why your data security strategy isn’t working? Here’s why and five ways you can eliminate your data visibility risk. Cloud and AI have shattered the illusion of control. Data is copied, shared, and moved across environments at a speed legacy tools simply can’t track. Visibility gaps aren’t just an inconvenience but a massive security liability. Here’s the hard truth: ✅ You can’t protect what you can’t see. ✅ Data classification by outdated RegEx rules? It’s not enough. ✅ Tracking access without understanding entitlement chains? That’s a blind spot. ✅ Traditional security tools without context? That’s security theater. Organizations need a no-gap data visibility approach—one that: 🔹 Finds ALL your data across clouds, SaaS, and on-prem environments. 🔹 Understands your data in real business context (not just surface-level labels). 🔹 Tracks data movement to detect unauthorized copies or leaks. 🔹 Maps data flows and access to pinpoint weak points before attackers do. 🔹 Uses AI-driven insights to prioritize risks and accelerate response. Security teams are already stretched thin—why make their job harder with blind spots? The future of data security isn’t about more tools; it’s about better visibility. How is your organization addressing its data visibility gaps? #DataSecurity #CloudSecurity #AI #RiskManagement #CyberSecurity #DataVisibility