News Insights: Hundreds of millions of Instagram, TikTok, YouTube accounts compromised by data breach

With everyone working from home and learning at home is our data safe? As of recently and according to Techradar, “An improperly-secured cloud database has exposed personal information for over 235 million TikTok, Instagram and YouTube accounts. The Hong Kong-based company Social Data was unknowingly storing the data in a database without proper password protection, meaning anyone could pop in and see it. Cybersecurity firm Comparitech found and disclosed the vulnerability, which Social Data immediately fixed—but others with less altruistic intentions may have found it as well.”

News Insights:

According to Erik Knight, 20 year technology veteran, cyber technology WFH expert, and CEO of SimpleWAN, “Most businesses do not have a contingency plan in place that will help prevent data loss and security breaches. The average business is unaware and unprepared that it’s being hit with more than 10 thousand attempted intrusions a day, and the number of these attacks are growing. When a data breach does occur, it can take months to discover it. The days of small businesses not taking data breaches seriously are over. If a small business has an ‘it can’t happen to me approach,’ I guarantee they are a target for a cyber threat. In addition to an increase in the volume of hacking, the scams are becoming much more sophisticated, and the landscape is changing regarding culpability. Organizations and governments are starting to hold businesses responsible for protecting customer privacy. If even the US Government has these kind of vulnerabilities do small businesses even have a chance?”