CNN reported this month over 1.2 billion passwords were stolen by a group of Russian cyber criminals in the biggest personal data breach to date.
This most recent massive personal data breach is unique because hackers chose to steal password information instead of financial information. Additionally, approximately 110 million Target customers’ data was compromised late last year.
Companies such as Target have partnered with Experian to better secure personal data in response to the recent data breaches. However, Joe Pagliery, a tech reporter for CNN Money, reveals that Experian has also experienced data breaches in his article, “Your Personal Information Just Isn’t Safe.”
According to Pagliery, the Experian breach occurred through a subsidiary company named Court Ventures. Hieu Minh Ngo, a Vietnamese hacker, posed as a private investigator to access Court Ventures’ private data and then sold the information to criminals. Federal investigators estimate hundreds of millions of people’s social security numbers, banking information, driver’s license numbers and other personal information was compromised.
Consumers should be proactive in protecting their online personal data. Change your passwords regularly and don’t use the same password for everything.
