All news with #pii tag

UK Contractor Breach Exposes Sensitive RAF and Navy Sites

🔒 A ransomware attack on contractor Dodd Group reportedly allowed Russian-linked attackers to exfiltrate hundreds of sensitive Ministry of Defence documents, including details on RAF Lakenheath, RAF Portreath and RAF Predannack. The company confirmed an incident and said it contained access, while the MoD suspects the Lynx group is behind the intrusion. Leaked files published on the dark web allegedly include site plans and personnel data, and the case is now under investigation amid a wider rise in UK cyber incidents.

Experian Fined €2.7m by Dutch Regulator for GDPR Breach

🔒 Experian Netherlands has been fined €2.7m by the Dutch Data Protection Authority for breaching GDPR requirements after collecting and processing personal data from public and private sources without proper notice or consent. The regulator found Experian compiled extensive databases using information from the Chamber of Commerce and data sold by telecom and energy firms, and that its credit scores influenced contract terms, deposits and denials. Experian acknowledged the violations, will not appeal, has ceased Dutch operations and plans to delete the database by year-end.

ChatGPT privacy and security: data control guide 2025

🔒 This article examines what ChatGPT collects, how OpenAI processes and stores user data, and the controls available to limit use for model training. It outlines region-specific policies (EEA/UK/Switzerland vs rest of world), the types of data gathered — from account and device details to prompts and uploads — and explains memory, Temporary Chats, connectors and app integrations. Practical steps cover disabling training, deleting memories and chats, managing connectors and Work with Apps, and securing accounts with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.

Hackers Leak Personal Data of Hundreds of US Agents

🔓 A hacking collective known as The Com has posted alleged personal details — names, addresses, and phone numbers — of hundreds of US government employees on private Telegram channels. Reporting by 404 Media indicates spreadsheets containing roughly 680 DHS entries, over 170 FBI email addresses, and more than 190 Department of Justice records were shared; the origin of the information is unclear. The group, which has ties to known ransomware and extortion actors, suggested further doxing and even solicited criminal collaboration, raising concerns about threats and physical safety for affected personnel and their families.

Experian Netherlands fined €2.7M for unlawful data use

🔍 Experian Netherlands was fined EUR 2.7 million by the Dutch Data Protection Authority for collecting and using personal data from multiple public and private sources without properly informing individuals or obtaining consent. The AP found the company aggregated information from the Chamber of Commerce, telecom and energy firms to produce credit assessments that affected interest rates and upfront deposits. Experian acknowledged the violations, will not appeal, has ceased operations in the Netherlands, and pledged to delete its database of personal data before year-end.

Significant Satellite Traffic Found Transmitted Unencrypted

⚠️Researchers used a commercial off-the-shelf satellite dish to perform the most comprehensive public study yet of geostationary satellite communications. They discovered a shockingly large volume of sensitive traffic—critical infrastructure telemetry, internal corporate and government communications, private voice calls and SMS, and consumer Internet streams such as in-flight Wi‑Fi—being broadcast unencrypted. Much of this data can be passively observed by anyone with a few hundred dollars of consumer-grade hardware, and a single transponder's footprint may cover up to 40% of the Earth's surface.

Prosper Data Breach Exposes Personal Data of 17.6M

🔒 Prosper has confirmed a data breach that may have exposed personal information for approximately 17.6 million customers. The company said unauthorized queries were made against customer and applicant databases and that the activity was shut down and access revoked on September 2. Prosper reported no operational disruptions or evidence of unauthorized account access or fund theft, has notified US law enforcement, and will offer affected customers credit monitoring once the scope is confirmed.

Hackers Steal Customer Data from Spanish Retailer Mango

🔒An external marketing service provider detected unauthorized access to customer personal data for the Spanish fashion company Mango. The attackers obtained first name, country, postal code, email address and telephone number for some customers, while last names, bank details and passwords were not accessed. Mango says its own systems remain secure and has notified the Spanish data protection authority (AEPD). Customers are urged to remain vigilant for phishing attempts via email, SMS or phone.

Sotheby's Data Breach Exposes Customer Financial Records

🔒 Sotheby's has notified customers that an intrusion detected on July 24 resulted in removal of sensitive data from its systems. After a two-month investigation the company determined exposed information includes full names, Social Security numbers and financial account details. Impacted individuals are being offered 12 months of free identity protection and credit monitoring through TransUnion while Sotheby's continues to assess the scope.

Sotheby's Breach Exposes Employee Financial Data Records

🔐 Sotheby's disclosed a cybersecurity incident first detected on July 24, 2025, after threat actors removed data from its environment. A two-month investigation found exposed information included full names, Social Security numbers and financial account details. The company notified impacted individuals and offered 12 months of identity protection and credit monitoring through TransUnion. An October update clarified the breach involved employees, not customers.

CISO Role Expands: From Operator to Enterprise Risk Lead

🔒 The CISO role has evolved from a primarily technical post into a broad enterprise leadership responsibility. Foundry’s 2025 Security Priorities Study shows many security leaders now brief boards multiple times a month and oversee areas beyond cybersecurity, including risk, compliance, privacy, and AI oversight. This shift requires stronger strategic communication and executive influence in addition to operational expertise.

2025 Insider Risk Report: Hidden Costs of Everyday Actions

🔍 The 2025 Insider Risk Report finds insider-driven data loss is widespread and costly, with 77% of organizations affected and many incidents stemming from human error or compromised accounts rather than malice. It warns that traditional DLP often lacks behavioral context and visibility across endpoints, SaaS, and GenAI. The report urges adoption of behavior-aware, AI-ready platforms and five practical practices to reduce false positives and prevent data loss.

US Q3 Report: Over 23 Million Data Breach Victims This Year

📊 The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC)'s Q3 2025 analysis found 835 publicly reported corporate data compromises in the United States, resulting in approximately 23 million victim notifications. That follows 1,732 incidents in H1 2025 and brings the year-to-date total to nearly 202 million victims. The report attributes 83% of breaches to cyber-attacks, highlights a rise in physical attacks, and criticizes the increasing frequency of notices that omit details about the cause. Major victims this quarter included Anne Arundel Dermatology, DaVita, TransUnion and several large healthcare providers.

MANGO reports marketing vendor breach exposing contacts

🔒 MANGO has notified customers that an external marketing service suffered unauthorized access, resulting in exposure of certain personal contact information. The retailer said the compromised fields included first name, country, postal code, email address, and telephone number, while last names, payment card details, IDs and account credentials were not affected. MANGO confirmed its corporate systems remain secure, authorities have been informed, and a dedicated email and hotline are available for concerned customers.

MANGO customer data exposed via third-party marketing

🔒 Spanish fashion retailer MANGO has alerted customers to a data breach that originated at an external marketing service, not within the company's own systems. The exposed fields include first names, countries, postal codes, email addresses and phone numbers. The company is notifying affected individuals and appears to be reviewing the vendor relationship and communications. Some recipients report receiving the notice in Spanish despite not being customers.

AI-Enhanced Reconnaissance: Risks for Web Applications

🛡️ Alex Spivakovsky (VP of Research & Cybersecurity at Pentera) argues that AI is accelerating reconnaissance by extracting actionable insight from external-facing artifacts—site content, JavaScript, error messages, APIs, and public repos. AI enhances credential guessing, context-aware fuzzing, and payload adaptation while reducing false positives by evaluating surrounding context. Defenders must treat exposure as what can be inferred, not just what is directly reachable.

Cyberattack Targets German Federal Employment Agency

🔒 In a coordinated operation, eight suspects attempted to hijack unemployment payments by accessing roughly 20,000 accounts of the Federal Employment Agency (BA) between late January and mid‑March. Investigators report about 1,000 accounts were accessed and bank details altered in 150 cases; early intervention limited losses to under €1,000. Searches across several states recovered devices, cash, weapons and narcotics, and two suspects are currently detained.

How to Scrub and Minimize Your Digital Footprint Effectively

🔍 Regularly search for yourself—names, emails and usernames—to uncover forgotten accounts, impersonators, and exposed data. Delete obsolete accounts, revoke third‑party access, clear browser and device traces, and use unique passwords stored in a reliable manager. Use tools like Just Delete Me and breach monitors such as Have I Been Pwned, invoke your right to be forgotten where applicable, and request archive removals. Tighten app permissions, unsubscribe from old lists, and consider privacy‑focused services or stronger 'paranoid' measures if needed.

Varonis Interceptor: Multimodal AI Email Defense Platform

🛡️ Varonis introduces Interceptor, an AI-native email security solution that combines multimodal AI—visual, linguistic, and behavioral models—to detect advanced phishing, BEC, and social engineering. It augments or replaces API-based filters with a phishing sandbox that pre-analyzes newly registered domains and URLs and a lightweight browser extension for multichannel protection. Integrated with the Varonis Data Security Platform, Interceptor aims to reduce false positives, accelerate detection of zero-hour threats, and stop breaches earlier in the attack chain.

Unmonitored JavaScript: The Holiday Shopping Risk 2025

⚠️ The article warns that unmonitored JavaScript on e-commerce sites is the single biggest holiday security risk, enabling attackers to steal payment data while server-side defenses like WAFs and intrusion detection systems remain blind. It reviews major 2024 incidents, including the Polyfill.io and Cisco Magecart campaigns, and highlights a dramatic uptick in attacks during peak shopping windows. Recommended mitigations emphasize closing visibility gaps with real-time client-side monitoring, maintaining strict third-party script inventories, and deploying Content Security Policy (initially in report-only mode) using nonces rather than weakening directives.