Six massive data breaches in 2024 resulted in 1.7 billion data breach notices. A 312% increase over 2023. Most of the data breaches were avoidable

February 2, 2025 |

The number of data breaches year on year continue to rise. More concerningly the numbers of victims affected grow exponentially. Data Breach Today in 312% Surge in Breach Notices That Could Have Been Prevented reports on a enormous spike in data breach notices being sent out on the back of 6 massive data breaches. Concurrently Bleeping Computer reports in US healthcare provider data breach impacts 1 million patients that Community Health Centre in Connecticut suffered a data breach in Mid October 2024 which was only discovered on 2 January 2025. It also reports in Backdoor found in two healthcare patient monitors, linked to IP in China that the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has warned that certain patient monitoring devices manufactured by Contec include a back door which sends patient data to a remote IP address. Contec is a China based company. These stories highlight the continuing need for companies to adopt a comprehensive and holistic approach to privacy protection.

The Data Breach Today story provides:

Six mega cybersecurity incidents led to a record 1.7 billion data breach notices going out to victims in 2024 – a dramatic 312% increase over the previous year. Among the mega-breaches, the Change Healthcare ransomware attack – the third-largest breach – continues to grow. The insurance company last week nearly doubled its estimated breach count to 190 million people.

James E. Lee, president of the Identity Theft Resource Center, citing the nonprofit group’s 2024 Annual Data Breach Report, said the increase exposes industry-wide failures in basic cybersecurity practices.

“More than 94% of breaches could have been prevented with simple measures like multifactor authentication,” Lee said. “These failures led to cascading impacts, with billions of victim notices issued.”

The report also reveals a troubling trend: 70% of breach notices lacked actionable information about attack vectors, complicating efforts to mitigate risks. The lack of standardization of breach disclosure laws is a key obstacle, Lee said. “We need uniform, enforceable federal regulations to better protect both businesses and consumers.”

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