More and more often we hear that data has been leaked, even during new customer conversations the example comes up. Last week the personal data authority published the following message including the annual report. We thought this was important to share with you.
Assume that some of your personal data has already been leaked, or is about to be. Therefore, make work of protecting your personal data. That is the central message in the annual data breach report of the Personal Data Authority (AP).
Every year, the AP provides an overview of the most important facts, figures and trends regarding data breaches in the Netherlands. This overview is known as the data breach report. The report for calendar year 2022 is now available.
Scams
The AP again received a large number of data breach reports in 2022, totaling 21,151. More than 1,800 leaks were the result of cyber attacks, which are especially dangerous. Cyber criminals use captured data, such as e-mail addresses, names and other personal information, for example, to scam large groups of people and organizations with fake messages that appear to come from trusted agencies.
‘Data leaks are unfortunately an ongoing phenomenon. And given their nature and scope, the AP advises everyone to take seriously into account that some of your data has already been leaked, or is about to be leaked,’ said AP chairman Aleid Wolfsen.
5 years of data breaches
In its latest data breach report, the AP also takes stock of the past 5 years. In 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was introduced, with the AP as the
regulatory body. Since then, the AP received a total of more than 114,000 data breach reports, of which more than 6,500 were the result of cyberattacks. A trend that the AP sees: although the number of data breach notifications per year remains about the same level, the number of victims is very likely to increase. Cyber attacks in particular can affect many people at once. The 3 largest data breaches in the healthcare sector in 2022, for example, put the medical data of some 900,000 people on the street.
Wolfsen: ‘This overview makes it abundantly clear that data breaches are a persistent problem. All the more reason for the AP to warn about the dangers of data breaches, and to urge everyone to take seriously the protection of personal data. You too can become a victim, even though you may not think so.’
Practical Tips
The Year 2022 data breach report contains concrete examples of people who have been victims themselves. To help people get started in protecting their data, the report also offers practical tips. These are both about what people can do to prevent damage and about actions you can take if your data has already been leaked.
In addition, the report explains what people can expect from organizations if personal data has been leaked through an organization, such as because it has been hit by a cyberattack. For example, there may be the possibility of seeking compensation. The AP also continues to remind organizations of their responsibilities when they use people's personal data.
‘The AP hopes people will be better armed with these tips,’ Wolfsen said. ‘The digital world we live in offers us all numerous benefits, but we must also be vigilant.’
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