From major banks to car dealerships, 2024 has been a data breach year. And yes, we mean that in the worst way possible. At this point, we’d be surprised if there’s an American out there who hasn’t been a victim of a data breach. Here are some of the companies that may have leaked your data.
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Nation-state public data breach: 2.9 billion people at risk
It’s hard to imagine anything worse than a background check company being hacked. Their only job is to dig up and collect non-public data. The lawsuit claims that National Public Data was negligent in exposing the personal information of 2.9 billion people. The information includes social security numbers, names, addresses, and more. Hacking group ASDoD has put the database of stolen information up for sale for $3.5 million. No word yet on a ransom payment.
National Public Data collects and stores personal data from “non-public sources” through a process called scraping, and conducts background checks on them. In other words, the company collects information that is not knowingly (or knowingly) handed over to it.
Depending on the outcome of the court case, the National Public Data Agency may be required to erase the personal data of affected individuals and encrypt all data it collects going forward.
Ascension ransomware attack: up to 140 hospitals
In May, an employee at one of the nation’s largest health systems accidentally downloaded malware, sparking a wave of cyberattacks.
Ascension operates 140 hospitals in 19 states and Washington, D.C. On May 8, the company detected unusual activity within its network. The disruptions quickly escalated, forcing Ascension to close emergency rooms and reroute patients.
Hackers broke into seven of Ascension’s 25,000 servers. Who was affected is still under investigation. Ascension recently said that about 500 people were affected, but the final figure is expected to be much higher.
CDK Global Attack: 15,000 Car Dealers
One of the major auto dealership software companies suffered a double blow in June: CDK, used by 15,000 dealerships for payroll and financial operations, was shut down by two consecutive cyber attacks on the 18th and 19th, with the ransom rumored to be worth billions of dollars. Millions Dollar.
The closures have significantly disrupted dealership operations and sales, with one Lexus dealer in New Jersey reporting a 50% drop in new vehicle sales in June.
Transforming healthcare attacks
Change Healthcare, a technology company owned by UnitedHealth, is used by thousands of pharmacies, hospitals and medical facilities to accept payments and process claims.
One attack discovered in late February caused weeks of massive disruption across the US healthcare system, forcing UnitedHealth to pay a massive $22 million ransom to Russian cybercrime group Black Cat to stop them from sharing the stolen data.
after that Another A fraud group called RansomHub also claims to have stolen data. UnitedHealth said in April that a “significant proportion” of Americans’ data had been exposed, with estimates that a third of Americans were affected. This included sensitive medical data like lab results, diagnoses, and images.
AT&T breach: 73 million customers
In March, AT&T revealed that hackers had stolen data from “almost all” current and former customers, dating back to 2019. Really Personal information, including Social Security numbers, was exposed, and hackers reportedly paid a $370,000 ransom to have it deleted.
Honorable Mention
◾ Advance Auto Parts (July): The personal information of more than 2.3 million people was stolen.
◾ Roku (April): Hackers gained access to approximately 591,000 accounts through “credential stuffing” – using login information leaked in other breaches. No financial information was accessed.
◾ Truist Bank (June): Hacking group Sp1d3r stole the information of around 65,000 employees and sold it online.
◾ Tile (June): Life360, the company that makes the Tile tracker device, reported the information breach, which included names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and device identification numbers.
◾ Ticketmaster (June): The attack affected 560 million customers. Data included names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, order histories, and some payment information.
◾ Dropbox (May): Attackers gained access to Dropbox Sign’s development environment and compromised customer information.
◾ TeamViewer (July): Employee directory data, including names and encrypted passwords, was exposed.
Lockdown
While we can’t stop hackers from breaking into large companies, can Protect yourself from radioactive fallout.
Double-check all medical communications. If you receive an Statement of Benefits (EOB) or a bill for services you did not receive, contact your health care provider and insurance company as soon as possible. Someone may be using your benefits for their own medical care.
Please treat email requests with caution. Be suspicious of anything that seems super urgent – it’s okay to slow down to be safe. My rule of thumb is that for any odd written requests like text or email, call.
Beware of “old friends” who appear out of nowhere. It could be a hacker with a bit of (stolen) information, so take the time to verify if they are really who they say they are.
Create a list of published data. Save this digitally or on a post-it note. Be suspicious of anyone who mentions this information in emails or phone calls. For example, let’s say the company you took out your car loan for got hacked. If you suddenly get a call saying there’s a major problem with your loan, be wary.
Update your PIN and bank login credentials. Even if hackers aren’t directly involved in the intrusion, they may use and access your personal information. Keep an eye on your bank and credit card statements for any anomalies. And while you’re at it, set up bank alerts on your phone.
Freeze your credit. This will help prevent scammers from opening credit cards or loans in your name. As with setting up a fraud alert, you’ll need to contact each of the three credit bureaus.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Learn about the latest in technology with The Kim Komando Show, the nation’s biggest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and offers advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. Visit her website for daily tips, a free newsletter and more.
