2022 breach landscape in the UK. It’s getting harder to escape unscathed.

Now that data serves as the de fact0 currency of our digital world, breaches have become a way of life. If you value your privacy, look at the 2022 statistics and ponder what could the trends could soon mean for you.

• 39% of businesses and 26% of charities reported some kind of cybersecurity breach or attack
• 49% of businesses that reported a cyber breach or attack say it occurs at least once a month, and 27% said at least once a week
• 21% of businesses that reported a cyber breach or attack suffered harm (e.g. a loss of money or data)

(source: Government Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022)

Quick overview of breaches that may have affected you in 2022:

The survey above states that it only counts breaches or attacks that organizations have themselves identified. Some attacks are hidden and others go unidentified, so the findings likely understate the problem.

Here are 3 breaches that have made the news in the last 12 months:

- Nearly 300 fast food restaurants, including branches of KFC and Pizza Hut, were forced to close following a ransomware attack against parent company Yum! Brands. The company confirmed the attack impacted some of its IT infrastructure, and that the hackers had stolen data from its servers.

- 10 million customers of the UK high street retailer JD Sports (as well as sister firms Millets, Blacks, Size?, Scotts, and Millets Sports) are thought to have been impacted by the security breach, which has put at risk their names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, order details, and the final four digits of their payment cards.

- In January 2023, UK car dealer Arnold Clark informed customers that hackers may have stolen their passport and driver’s license data as well as their national insurance numbers and bank account details in a security incident from December 2022.

Don’t become a statistic

In November 2020, the UK government launched a new National Cyber Force (NCF) to tackle the growing problem of cybercrime. As for the citizens, businesses and organizations, they can turn to Information Commissioner’s Officer (ICO) for help, information and complaints about data safety.

But when your data is compromised, you must take control over your privacy and act before it is too late.

Here is what to do upon learning you were affected by a breach:

#1 Change the password for the account exposed. If you are not using a Password Manager, consider getting one. Thus, you can be sure your online accounts are secured with the strongest passwords possible without you having to memorize or write them down. Also, set up two-factor authentication on your accounts.

#2 If you believe financial details have been stolen or notice any suspicious activity in your bank accounts, notify your bank or credit card provider immediately.

#3 If your social media accounts have been hacked, contact your connections to warn them of any messages the attackers may have sent impersonating you.

#4 Be wary of any strange emails or calls you receive after the incident. They may be phishing attempts or hackers trying to get even more data from you.

#4 Get online identity monitoring services such as Digital Identity Protection.

This dedicated identity protection solution lets you know immediately if your data has been exposed in a breach. Instead of finding out about it from a press release, you know instantly what happened and what you need to do next to minimize risks by following easy one-click action items. Moreover, you can easily sniff out potential social media impersonators who may ruin your online reputation and livelihood.