Don’t expect data breaches to slow down in 2015

There have been a lot of data breaches–many of them massive breaches affecting tens of millions of customers–in 2014. That isn’t likely to slow down in 2015.

A new report from Experian highlights some of the factors fueling data breach trends. I also sought security expert insights into data breach trends and what drives them. I wrote this blog post about it:

The data breaches of 2014 have yet to fade into memory, and we already have 2015 looming. Experian’s 2015 Data Breach Industry Forecast gives us much to anticipate, and I’ve asked security experts to weigh in with their thoughts for the coming year as well.

Experian highlights a number of key factors that will drive or contribute to data breaches in 2015. A few of them aren’t surprising: Organizations are focusing too much on external attacks when insiders are a significantly bigger threat, and attackers are likely to go after cloud-based services and data. A few new factors, however, merit your attention.

First, there is a looming deadline of October, 2015 for retailers to upgrade to point-of-sale systems capable of processing chip-and-PIN credit cards. As banks and credit card issuers adopt more secure chip-and-PIN cards, and more consumers have them in hand, it will be significantly more difficult to clone cards or perpetrate credit card fraud. That’s why Experian expects cybercriminals to increase the volume of attacks early in 2015, to compromise as much as possible while they still can.

The third thing that stands out in the Experian report is an increased focus on healthcare breaches. Electronic medical records, and the explosion of health or fitness-related wearable devices make sensitive personal health information more vulnerable than ever to being compromised or exposed.

The risk of health related data being breached is also a concern voiced by Ken Westin, security analyst with Tripwire. He pointed out that part of the reason that retail breaches have escalated is because cybercriminals have developed the technologies and market for monetizing that data. “The bad news is that other industries can easily become targets once a market develops for the type of data they have. I am particularly concerned about health insurance fraud—it’s driving increasing demand for health care records and most healthcare organizations are not prepared for the level of sophistication and persistence we have seen from attackers in the retail segment.”

Read the full story at PCWorld: Data breach trends for 2015: Credit cards, healthcare records will be vulnerable.