A data leak is the unauthorized exposure of confidential or sensitive information from a secure location to an untrusted environment. These events are often the result of misconfigurations and human error, but can have serious consequences for businesses, government organizations, and individuals.
In the digital age, data leaks are commonplace and can expose a wide range of sensitive information to unauthorized parties. Typically, this occurs in computer networks or cloud services. This information may be stolen by hackers or accidentally exposed to unauthorized users, depending on the circumstances.
For businesses, a data leak can lead to costly lawsuits and regulatory fines. It can also damage customer trust and the bottom line, and negatively affect brand reputation. Regardless of the cause, it’s important to address the issue as quickly as possible.
Often, data leaks expose personal information that can be used for identity theft and scams. This includes names, phone numbers, and physical addresses, as well as financial details like bank accounts and social security numbers. In some cases, the leak may even include medical information and job applications.
The most common reason for a data leak is the failure to protect data from unauthorized access. For example, when Heartland Payment Systems was hacked in 2016, the hacker gained administrator credentials to bypass a firewall and access data buckets, folders, and files. This data was then posted on GitHub, and could have been easily retrieved by anyone who knew where to look. Similarly, many IoT devices are set up with default passwords, which are easy to guess or crack.