The Dutch Data Protection Authority (PA) sees an explosive increase in reports of data leaks caused by cyber attacks, the watchdog reports in a report on Wednesday. The number of companies that are affected by hacking, malware or phishing and that report this to the regulator increased by 88% last year compared to 2020.
AP also saw increases in 2020 and 2019. That was 30% and 25% respectively compared to the previous year.
Last year, the regulator received a total of 24,866 data breach notifications. This is an increase of 4% compared to 2020 when there were still 23,976 reports. The number of data breaches caused by cyber attacks represents 9% of the total number of data breach reports this year. Last year it was still 5%.
The figures do not automatically lead to the conclusion that the number of cyber attacks has increased in the past year. “As an auditor, we have urged companies to report such data breaches to us more often,” Dennis Davrados, AP data breach coordinator, told NU.nl.
Victims more vulnerable to cybercrime
He describes the increase in data breaches as a result of cyber-attacks as “disturbing” because personal data is often stolen. Victims then become more susceptible to, for example, phishing. This is a type of fraud where criminals use fake emails or text messages to falsify personal details such as logins and bank details.
The AP also received more reports from IT companies that were victims of a cyber attack. For example, they provide custom software, digital workstations or storage. “IT companies are a popular target because they host the personal data of so many organizations in one place,” says Davrados.
Last year, the watchdog saw 28 data breaches as a result of cyber attacks on such organizations. As a result, a thousand eight hundred organizations eventually became involved. It is estimated that data from a total of seven million people were involved in the incident.
Informing victims while paying the ransom
Finally, the AP also found that organizations that pay ransoms to hackers to recover their data after an attack often fail to notify victims. They state that hackers will no longer distribute personal data through payment.
According to the AP, this result is too short-sighted. Davrados said: “Companies cannot give this guarantee. So we say: always inform the victims, even if the ransom has been paid.”
As in previous years, the AP sent the report to the House of Representatives. Now we don’t know what will happen to him.
Source: NU
Jason Jack is an experienced technology journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in computer science and engineering, he has a deep understanding of the latest technology trends and developments. He writes about a wide range of technology topics, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, software development, and cybersecurity.
