New report warns of record number of data breaches in Washington over last year
Nov 5, 2021, 2:29 PM | Updated: Nov 8, 2021, 8:04 am
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
A new report from state Attorney General Bob Ferguson indicates that Washington has been subject to a record number of data breaches and ransomware attacks over the last year.
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According to the report, businesses and agencies that had been breached have sent 6.3 million notices to the state’s residents so far in 2021, nearly doubling the previous record of 3.5 million notices sent in 2018.
“We publish this report because Washingtonians are best able to safeguard their data when they are aware of the threats — and the threats have never been greater,” Ferguson said in a press release.
The total number of data breaches also increased dramatically year-over-year, rising from 60 to 280. The previous record for a single year was 78. Ransomware attacks also skyrocketed to 150 incidents in 2021, “more than the previous five years combined.”
The report credited numerous factors for these inflated numbers. That includes the fact that more people are storing their data online while working from home, a so-called “mega breach” targeting file-sharing company Accellion affecting 1.3 million Washingtonians, and an increased reliance on “digital and online services that collect user data to conduct business.”
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“This increase in online activity may create more opportunities for cybercriminals to steal personal information and underlines the importance of Washington’s data breach notification laws,” the report noted.
The report also made recommendations for strengthening accountability and consumer safety, calling for the state to widen the requirements for a consumer notice from a breached company.
The state maintains a database of breaches at this link. The most recent incidents involve a range of companies and agencies, from the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation to the American Osteopathic Association, among many others. Nine breaches were reported in the month of October alone.
