In terms of financial and reputational impact, a data breach is one of the most serious security challenges an organisation can experience. Kroll’s 2021 Data Breach Outlook report states that the pattern of data attacks becoming broader and deeper during the pandemic has continued, even during the recovery phase. With the volume of data breaches continuing to increase, it is essential that organisations take steps to prepare their incident response before they are affected by a breach.

Five Guys Enterprises, LLC oversees the management of services delivered by “Five Guys,” a national restaurant chain throughout the US. The restaurant is available in more than 1,450 locations, 900+ cities, and every state (except Alaska). Their prominent location distribution and policy of every order being “served to go” makes Five Guys a top contender for dinner; however, now, their prosperous history may be at risk following a data breach stemming from their employees.

This week, many institutions were targeted for attacks, impacting thousands differently. In the northeast of the US, New York’s gambling scene suffered an attack, downing casinos across the state. In the South, hackers attacked Florida’s Akumin clinics, exposing patient data. In Pennsylvania, the City of Philadelphia suffered from leaking the information of city email owners.

The University of Michigan (UM) hosts more than 55,000 students, 35,000 staff members, and 640,000 alums. Unfortunately, following a recent cybersecurity breach, students, applicants, alums, employees, contractors, and donors may now have information at risk. The extent of the exposure is unknown, but the outcome could impact anyone. Those in association with UM must take steps to guard themselves before the assailants can misuse their information.

Headquartered in Orange City, Iowa, Revival Animal Health delivers business solutions for pet-oriented care and service providers; they offer pet healthcare products and animal supplies to pet professionals and individual pet owners. One way they provide services is via the e-commerce host CommerceV3. Revival Animal Health recently announced that CommerceV3 suffered a vulnerability, exposing 66,574 customer records.

Cybercrime is on the rise. By 2025, the cost of cybercrime around the world is estimated to escalate to $10.5 trillion, based on a year-over-year increase of 15%. This number represents the potential for the largest transfer of economic wealth in history and exceeds even the total global profits from the illegal drug trade.

Philly is the most populous city in the United States, hosting more than 1.5 million residents within its borders. The City employs around 30,000 people, fulfilling over 1,000 job categories. Recently, the City discovered suspicious activity within its email system, leading to potential information exposures of those with accessible accounts. If you have a city email account, your information could be at risk for misuse.

Akumin is a radiology and oncology clinic based in Florida with multiple locations. Last week, three of their South Florida locations shut down their computer systems to hobble a ransomware cyberattack. The downtime significantly impacted the three clinics, as the doctors could not complete patient assessments. Recent patients in the area should consider protective monitoring services to help mitigate potential outcomes from the attack.

New York state’s video lottery gaming system receives management by Everi Holdings—a Las Vegas-born licensing operator; the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) battled a cybersecurity event impacting casinos across the state last week. In 2020, the NY Council on Problem Gambling (NYCPG) published a report implying that 32% of residents were recreational or problem gamblers; if the report is accurate, over a million people could be at risk following the cybersecurity event.

AIDS Alabama Incorporated (AAI) serves over 8,000 Alabama residents, assisting them with emotional and medical support where possible. They are a clinic of humanitarian advocates, helping community members with housing and food; AAI is also an outspoken supporter of Black Lives Matter, substance abuse help, and preventative education. Your data may be at risk if you’ve received services or assistance from AAI.