computer keyboard

With 4.1 Billion Records Exposed in Six Months, 2019 Is On Course To Be Record Year For Data Breaches

Only eight breaches were responsible for the exposure of 3.2 billion records in the first half of the year, according to new research.

In the first six months of 2019, 4.1 billion compromised records were exposed in more than 3,800 publicly disclosed breaches, according to a new study published by Risk Based Security, a security research firm.

While security breaches have been in the headlines all year long, a large majority of the records ⁠— 3.2 billion ⁠— were revealed in just eight breaches. The largest of those breaches involved Verifications.io, a company that approves email addresses for third-party customers. That breach of nearly a billion names, email addresses and other personal information was due to an unsecured database that was openly accessible online, 24/7 Wall Street reported.

The second largest breach also involved a massive 885 million real estate transaction records, which were maintained by First American Financial. Cultura Colectiva, a Mexico-based digital media company, exposed 540 million Facebook users’ data through a misconfigured database in the third-largest leak.

Based on the number of records leaked, all three were among the top 10 breaches of all time, 24/7 Wall Street reported.

But while Risk Based Security analyzed the largest breaches, it also found that a large majority of breaches reported in early 2019 had a “moderate to low severity score,” meaning they exposed 10,000 or fewer records. As Forbes notes, this is because small businesses are often easy targets for hackers due to their lack of cybersecurity protections for their data.

“Quarter after quarter the pattern has repeated itself,” said Inga Goddijn, executive vice president at Risk Based Security. “The vast majority of incidents are attributable to malicious actors outside an organization. Unauthorized access of systems or services, skimmers and exposure of sensitive data on the Internet have been the top three breach types since January of 2018.”

The business sector was responsible for 67 percent of the reported breaches and nearly 85 percent of the exposed records, the firm found. And while only 149 of the 3,813 incidents involved misconfigured databases and services, those breaches exposed over 3.2 billion records. Indeed, just this week, a security researcher discovered that MoviePass, the movie ticket subscription service, exposed customer credit card numbers by not protecting a crucial database with a password.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • AI to Help Resolve Non-Emergency Calls Across Utah and Decrease 911 Caller Wait Times

    The Utah Communications Authority (UCA), which oversees the state’s next generation 911 technology services, recently announced that public safety answering points (PSAPs) throughout the state plan to implement Motorola Solutions’ Virtual Response technology to automate the receipt and resolution of 10-digit non-emergency line calls in Utah with the help of AI. Read Now

  • Report: 2025 Video Surveillance Market Set to Grow After Small Decline in 2024

    Novaira Insights has unveiled its latest report, “World Market for Video Surveillance Hardware and Software – 2025 Edition.” The research indicates that the global market for video surveillance hardware and software experienced a slight decline of 0.3% in 2024. This performance fell short of previous forecasts, primarily due to a significant decrease of 7.8% in the Chinese market. Conversely, the rest of the world saw a growth of 4.9%. The global market for video surveillance equipment was estimated to be worth $25.0 billion in 2024. Read Now

  • Report Reveals Local Governments Face Surge in Ransomware Attacks with Minimal Resources

    KnowBe4, the cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, recently released new research highlighting the critical cybersecurity challenges facing state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. The report details how government organizations have become prime targets for cybercriminals while simultaneously facing severe resource constraints. Read Now

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities