All news with #pii tag

How Leading CISOs Secure Budget by Framing Business Risk

🔒 Security leaders are entering budget season facing skepticism; success now requires translating technical needs into clear business impact. Presentations that tie investments to revenue protection, uptime, regulatory compliance, and quantified loss avoidance resonate with boards. Adopt a risk-focused framework, define measurable KPIs such as time to detect and remediate, and employ continuous validation to expose exploitable weaknesses and track remediation velocity. Use standards like ISO 27001 and NIST as familiar anchors while showing real-world validation to avoid shelfware.

Plex Urges Password Resets After Customer Data Breach

🔒 Plex reports an unauthorized third party accessed a limited subset of customer authentication data, including email addresses, usernames, and securely hashed passwords. The company says it quickly contained the incident and that no payment card information was stored on its servers. Because Plex did not disclose the hashing algorithm used, it recommends users reset their passwords, enable two‑factor authentication, and use the “Sign out connected devices after password change” option to terminate active sessions. Plex reminded customers it will never request passwords or card details by email.

Lovesac Confirms Data Breach Following Ransomware Claim

🔒 Lovesac reported a cybersecurity incident in which unauthorized actors accessed internal systems between February 12, 2025 and March 3, 2025, with the company detecting the activity on February 28, 2025. The notice to impacted individuals states that full names and additional personal information were stolen, although specific data elements and the total number of affected people were not disclosed. Lovesac says it remediated the intrusion within three days and currently has no indication the information has been misused, but it is advising vigilance for phishing and other fraud. The RansomHub ransomware group claimed responsibility and added Lovesac to its extortion portal; affected individuals are being offered 24 months of Experian credit monitoring.

Wealthsimple Confirms Supply-Chain Breach Affecting 30,000

🔒 Wealthsimple has confirmed a supply-chain related data breach that exposed information for roughly 30,000 customers after software from a third-party vendor was compromised on August 30. The leaked data reportedly included contact details, government-issued IDs, Social Insurance Numbers, dates of birth, IP addresses and account numbers. Wealthsimple says passwords were not accessed, no client accounts were compromised and no funds were stolen. The firm says it contained the intrusion within hours, notified regulators and is offering affected customers two years of free credit monitoring, dark-web monitoring, identity theft protection and a dedicated support team.

German Companies Affected by 2024–2025 Cyberattacks

🔒 In 2024 and into 2025, a wide range of German companies — from small and mid-sized enterprises to publicly listed groups and critical-service providers — were struck by ransomware and other intrusions, causing operational disruptions, lost revenue, supply-chain effects and reputational harm. Notable victims include Volkswagen Group, Adidas, Samsung Germany and several defence and manufacturing firms, while IT service providers and regional utilities were also targeted. At least one company (Fasana GmbH) reported insolvency after an attack. The editorial team updates this list regularly, but it is not exhaustive.

Four-Step EASM Framework to Reduce External Cyber Risk

🔍 External Attack Surface Management (EASM) requires a continuous, automated approach to discover internet-facing assets, detect vulnerabilities and prioritize remediation. The article outlines a practical four-step process — identify and classify assets, risk detection, risk assessment, and prioritization and remediation — to reduce external cyber risk. A real-world Jenkins misconfiguration illustrates how shadow IT and configuration changes can expose sensitive data, and why centralized, recurrent EASM platforms that integrate with existing workflows and provide actionable guidance are essential. Effective defense combines fast MTTD from tools with responsive teams to achieve timely MTTR.

FTC Action: Robot Toys Collected Children's Location Data Illegally

🔒 The FTC and DOJ have acted against Chinese toy maker Apitor Technology after its robot toys and companion Android app transmitted precise geolocation data about children without parental notice or consent. The company integrated a third-party SDK, JPush, which collected street-level location sufficient to identify homes and routines. Apitor agreed to a settlement with a suspended $500,000 penalty, a permanent ban on collecting sensitive kids’ data without parental consent, and obligations to delete illegally gathered records and submit to monitoring.

South Carolina School District Data Breach Affects 31,000

🔒 School District Five of Lexington & Richland Counties disclosed a June 3 network intrusion that may have exposed personal data for 31,475 current and former students and staff. Exposed information likely includes names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, financial account details and state‑issued ID information. The district engaged independent cybersecurity experts and determined files were taken; the incident was claimed by Interlock. Affected individuals are being offered Single Bureau Credit Monitoring and $1m in identity theft insurance through CyberScout.

Practical Guide to Reducing Kids’ Digital Footprint

🔒 This practical guide helps parents reduce their children's digital footprint by identifying risky "hot spots"—from unsecured group chats and gaming voice channels to oversharing on social media, unsafe downloads, public Wi‑Fi and unvetted AI tools. It stresses open conversation over heavy-handed controls and recommends concrete measures: disable geolocation, vet links with anti‑phishing tools, use antivirus, a trusted VPN on public networks, and parental controls such as Kaspersky Safe Kids. The guide also encourages parents to watch and discuss online activity together and to teach habits like unique passwords and cautious AI use.

Sharp Rise in Cyberattacks on German Education Sector

🔒 Researchers at Check Point report a 56% year-over-year increase in cyberattacks against German educational institutions as the new school year begins, well above the global average. Analysts observed targeted phishing campaigns, including an August 2025 scheme that redirected victims to fake university and Outlook login pages to harvest credentials. To mitigate risk, experts recommend targeted phishing awareness training, mandatory multi-factor authentication (MFA), early detection of suspicious domains, regular system updates and deployment of modern threat-prevention solutions as part of a preventive, multi-layered security strategy.

Under Lock and Key: Strengthening Business Encryption

🔒 Encryption is a critical layer in modern data protection, safeguarding sensitive and business‑critical information both at rest and in transit. The article outlines key drivers — remote/hybrid work, explosive data growth, device loss, third‑party risks, ransomware and insider threats — that make encryption essential. It recommends robust algorithms such as AES-256, centralized management and solutions for disks, files, removable media and email, alongside minimal end‑user friction. The piece also warns that regulators and insurers increasingly expect strong encryption as part of compliance and underwriting.

61% of US Companies Hit by Insider Data Breaches in Two Years

📊 Nearly two-thirds (61%) of US firms experienced insider data breaches in the past two years, according to a new OPSWAT report conducted by the Ponemon Institute. Affected organizations reported an average of eight unauthorized file-access incidents and an average financial impact of $2.7m per organization. Respondents identified file storage and web file transfers as the riskiest environments for data loss. The study also found mixed approaches to generative AI—29% have banned it, 25% have formal policies, and 33% already include AI in file security strategies.

Chess.com: Third-Party File Transfer App Breach Disclosed

🔒 Chess.com disclosed a data breach after threat actors gained unauthorized access to a third-party file transfer application used by the platform. The intrusion persisted from June 5 to June 18, 2025, and was discovered on June 19, prompting an investigation and engagement of outside experts. Chess.com says its own infrastructure and member accounts were not affected; just over 4,500 users may have had names and other PII accessed. No financial information appears exposed, and affected members are being offered 1–2 years of free identity theft and credit monitoring.

North Korea-Linked Actors Target Cyber Threat Intel

🔍 Cybersecurity firm SentinelLabs and internet intelligence company Validin uncovered a coordinated effort by a North Korea-aligned cluster, tracked as Contagious Interview, to exploit CTI platforms between March and June 2025. The actors repeatedly created accounts on Validin’s portal, reused Gmail addresses tied to prior operations and registered new domains after takedowns. Investigators observed team-based coordination, probable Slack use, and operational slip-ups that exposed logs and directory structures. The probe also identified ContagiousDrop malware delivery applications that harvested details from more than 230 mostly cryptocurrency-sector victims, underscoring the campaign’s revenue-driven motive and the need for vigilance from job seekers and infrastructure providers.

Principal Financial Adopts Biometrics to Stop Account Fraud

🔐 Principal Financial replaced brittle knowledge-based authentication with a digital ID verification and biometric platform to block account takeovers. Using DIVA with a focus on facial recognition and an implementation by Onfido (an Entrust company), the insurer completed rollout within months. The change has virtually eliminated fraudulent registrations and improved user success and completion rates while preserving usability.

SNI5GECT: 5G Downgrade Attack Enables 4G Tracking Now

🔒 Researchers demonstrated SNI5GECT, an over‑the‑air injection attack targeting unencrypted initial exchanges in 5G that can crash device modems or force a fallback to 4G. By observing the plain‑text handshake and injecting a crafted information block at precise timing, an attacker within roughly 20 meters can trigger a reboot or downgrade. The technique enabled 4G‑based tracking and spoofing on multiple handsets across different modem vendors, and arises from protocol characteristics rather than a single vendor implementation.

Pressure Grows on CISOs to Conceal Security Incidents

🔒 A growing majority of CISOs report being pressured to hide breaches, with a Bitdefender survey finding 69% instructed to keep incidents confidential, up from 42% two years earlier. Security leaders say attackers increasingly prioritize stealthy data theft rather than disruptive encryption, making breaches less visible to the public. Regulatory regimes such as GDPR, NIS2 and DORA complicate disclosure decisions, while experts warn that concealment multiplies legal, financial and reputational risk and recommend robust, transparent incident response plans.

Court Upholds EU-US Data Privacy Framework Agreement

⚖️ The European Court of Justice's General Court has dismissed a legal challenge seeking to annul the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), finding that, at the time of adoption, US law ensured an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred from the EU. Negotiated in July 2023, the DPF now stands as the main mechanism for transatlantic data flows, providing immediate relief to the European Commission and many businesses. Critics including Max Schrems and advocacy group NOYB have signalled likely appeals, meaning the ruling may not be the final word and legal uncertainty could continue.

US Sues Toy Maker Over Kids' Geolocation Data Leak

🔒 The U.S. Department of Justice has sued toy maker Apitor after an FTC referral, alleging it allowed a Chinese third party to collect precise geolocation data from children without notifying parents or obtaining consent required under COPPA. Apitor's Android app for robot toys uses the JPush SDK, which reportedly collected location data for any purpose, including targeted advertising. Under a proposed settlement, Apitor must secure third-party COPPA compliance, notify parents, delete collected personal information, limit retention, and faces a $500,000 penalty that is currently suspended amid claimed financial hardship.

Disney to Pay $10M Over YouTube Kids' Data Violations

⚖️ The FTC secured a $10 million settlement with Disney after finding the company mislabeled children’s content on YouTube, enabling collection of kids' personal data without parental notice or consent. The complaint says Disney applied channel-level tags that caused many videos to be marked as 'Not Made for Kids' instead of Made for Kids, circumventing COPPA protections. The settlement imposes a civil penalty, requires parental notice prior to data collection, and mandates a new program to ensure correct MFK labeling on future uploads.