Staying Ahead of Data Breaches: Essential IT Security Practices

Data breaches continue to dominate technology headlines, affecting industries ranging from legal and education to healthcare and biotechnology. With each new breach, the urgency for robust IT security practices becomes clearer. In this post, we’ll break down recent high-profile incidents, analyze their impact, and discuss actionable strategies that IT professionals and organizations can adopt to stay ahead of evolving threats.

Recent Data Breaches: Lessons and Insights

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.
Reference: Fast Company, Stueve Siegel Hanson
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.
Reference: WRAL, Gizmodo/X
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.
Reference: Reddit, Wired
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.
Reference: Fierce Biotech
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.
Reference: AOL

Analysis: Why Security Breakdowns Happen

Each of these breaches uncovers recurring themes: reliance on third-party vendors, soaring ransomware payments, insufficient data access controls, and a lack of transparency about how customer data will be handled during corporate transitions. Particularly alarming is the breadth of affected industries—no sector is immune, whether it’s legal (LexisNexis), education (PowerSchool), healthcare, or biotech (23andMe). As attack vectors evolve, the importance of proactive threat modeling and continuous risk assessment becomes clear for organizations of any size.

Best Practices for Data Breach Prevention in 2025

Zero Trust Security: Architect network access under a “never trust, always verify” model, ensuring every device and user is continuously authenticated and authorized.
Third-party Risk Management: Regularly assess the security posture of all software suppliers and service partners. Pilot continuous vendor risk assessments and contractual obligations for breach reporting.
Data Encryption: Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit to minimize damage from unauthorized access.
Least Privilege Access: Limit system and data access to only those who require it for their roles. Deploy identity and access management (IAM) systems with just-in-time privileges.
Incident Response Plans: Develop, test, and practice breach response procedures. Include legal, PR, and technical teams in tabletop exercises for coordinated action.
Continuous Monitoring and Observability: Implement real-time monitoring solutions for threats, anomalies, and unauthorized access. Read more about observability here.
Employee Training: Conduct regular cybersecurity awareness training, simulating phishing and social engineering attacks.

Why It Matters: The Broader Impact

The impact of data breaches now goes far beyond regulatory fines or direct costs. These breaches erode public trust, expose organizations to litigation, upend privacy agreements, and can hinder M&A activity, as highlighted by the sale of 23andMe. Leadership teams need to embed cybersecurity into corporate DNA—not just compliance checklists. For further reading, see our post on Data Breach Business Impact & IT Response.

Conclusion: Make Security a Daily Priority

No single tool or policy will guarantee data security in today’s hostile environment. IT leaders must adopt layered defense-in-depth strategies, foster a culture of security awareness, and keep up with threat intelligence. Vigilance today can prevent tomorrow’s headline—and protect customers, employees, and your organization’s reputation for years to come.