Data breaches remain one of the most significant threats facing businesses and individuals in the digital age. As cyberattacks grow more frequent and sophisticated, it is imperative for organizations and IT professionals to adopt robust security practices to protect sensitive information, customer trust, and business continuity. This article dives deep into recent high-profile breaches and explores essential strategies to help you stay ahead of evolving security challenges.
Recent High-Profile Data Breaches
- LexisNexis leaked social security numbers and other personal data for over 364,000 people: LexisNexis Risk Solutions suffered a significant data breach that exposed the personal information of over 364,000 people, including names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and contact information. The breach occurred in December when an unauthorized third party accessed the company’s records through a third-party platform used for software development. LexisNexis, which operates as a data analytics and data broker firm, filed notice of the incident with Maine’s attorney general, confirming that the compromised data included highly sensitive personal information that could potentially be used for identity theft and other fraudulent activities. The breach has prompted investigations into potential legal claims against the company for failing to adequately protect the personal data of hundreds of thousands of individuals. Read more
- 19-Year-Old to Plead Guilty to Hacking Charges After Data Breach of Millions of Schoolchildren: A 19-year-old Massachusetts college student named Matthew Lane has pleaded guilty to hacking charges related to a major data breach affecting PowerSchool, a company that manages educational data. Lane and unidentified co-conspirators were involved in hacking PowerSchool’s system, facilitating a September 2024 data breach that compromised the personal information of approximately 60 million students and 10 million teachers worldwide. The hackers initially stole data from a telecommunications company in May 2024, demanding $200,000 in bitcoin, but later escalated their demands to about $2.85 million in bitcoin on December 28th, threatening to release the massive trove of educational data if their ransom demands were not met. This breach represents one of the largest compromises of student and teacher data in recent history, affecting millions of current and former students, including those in North Carolina’s public school system. Read more
- Congress Demands Answers on Data Privacy Ahead of 23andMe Sale: House Democrats have sent letters to potential buyers of 23andMe, demanding answers about how they plan to protect customer genetic data under new ownership. The letters, signed by 20 Democratic members of Congress, were sent to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and TTAM Research Institute, both of which have submitted separate bids to acquire the genetic testing company. The congressional inquiry specifically asks whether the potential buyers will maintain customers’ ability to delete their data and withdraw consent for medical research use, and whether they will uphold 23andMe’s current policy of not sharing genetic data with law enforcement without a warrant. This congressional action reflects growing concerns about the protection of sensitive genetic information as the company undergoes a potential change in ownership. Read more
- 23andMe (and Your Genetic Data) Sold to Regeneron in Bankruptcy Auction: 23andMe has been sold to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals for $256 million following a bankruptcy auction, with Regeneron submitting the highest bid for substantially all of the genetic testing company’s assets. The acquisition includes 23andMe’s biobank containing genetic samples from approximately 15 million customers, and Regeneron plans to operate 23andMe as a subsidiary while continuing to offer consumer genetic testing services. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025, and Regeneron has stated it will incorporate 23andMe’s genetic data findings into its own research operations. To address privacy concerns, Regeneron has committed to detailing its intended use of customer data and implementing privacy programs and security controls that will be reviewed by a court-appointed independent Customer Privacy Ombudsman and other interested parties. Read more
- Over 8M patient records leaked in healthcare data breach: Over 8 million patient records were exposed in a recent healthcare data breach, highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of medical information in the digital age. Healthcare data has become one of the most targeted types of information by cybercriminals over the past decade, with attackers focusing on various players in the healthcare ecosystem including insurance companies, medical clinics, and other healthcare providers that handle sensitive patient information. This breach represents a significant security incident that affects millions of individuals whose personal medical data may now be compromised, underscoring the critical need for enhanced cybersecurity measures across the healthcare industry to protect patient privacy and sensitive medical records from unauthorized access. Read more
Core IT Security Practices for Preventing Data Breaches
- Implement Multi-layered Security: Use a combination of network firewalls, endpoint protection, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and email security to create a strong security perimeter.
- Enforce Strong Authentication and Least Privilege Access: MFA and identity management, along with regular privilege reviews, help to protect critical systems from unauthorized access.
- Patch Early, Patch Often: Many breaches exploit unpatched vulnerabilities. Implement an automated patch management solution for both operating systems and third-party applications.
- Encrypt Data At Rest and In Transit: Encryption is essential for sensitive data—especially personal health, financial, and genetic information—to prevent malicious actors from accessing readable data.
- Monitor and Respond in Real Time: Deploy monitoring and observability tools to quickly detect suspicious activities. Automated alerts and incident response protocols are key to mitigating breaches before major data loss occurs.
- Educate and Train Staff: Social engineering and phishing remain top attack vectors. Regular security training helps build a culture of awareness and vigilance.
- Conduct Regular Security Audits and Penetration Tests: Evaluate systems for weaknesses and simulate real-world attacks to improve your defenses.
It’s clear from the news above that both multinational corporations and smaller organizations are vulnerable to breaches. Whether from sophisticated hacking groups or internal process weaknesses, no sector is immune—be it legal data brokers, educational tech platforms, genetic research startups, or healthcare providers. Regulatory scrutiny is intensifying, and the cost of non-compliance or poor security can be astronomical, both financially and reputationally.
Incorporating advanced monitoring tools can provide critical early warnings. Read more about monitoring and observability in the enterprise, and discover the difference between observability vs. monitoring to take your security posture to the next level. For a closer look at the impact of data breaches and preventative strategies, check out how data breaches impact businesses and IT response strategies.
Conclusion: Proactive Security is Non-Negotiable
As the recent incidents reveal, cybercriminals target all industries, and the stakes keep rising. Businesses must move beyond compliance checklists and adopt holistic, proactive approaches to IT security. Investing in layered cybersecurity, empowering teams with knowledge, leveraging internal monitoring tools, and maintaining transparent data governance are essentials to stay ahead. Failing to do so not only invites regulatory investigation, like in the case of LexisNexis and 23andMe, but also erodes customer trust that can take years to rebuild.
Stay informed, foster a security-first mindset, and regularly revisit your organization’s security strategy to defend against the next wave of threats. For more analysis on data breach trends and security best practices, explore our series on understanding the impact of data breaches and risks in cybersecurity.
