Technology

What exactly is a data breach and why should I care?

Published

1 year ago

July 24, 2024

What exactly is a data breach and why should I care?

Data breaches have become common, and if you’ve actively used online services in the past year, you might have been affected by them. For example, the Advance Auto Parts breach exposed more than 2.3 million users’ personal information, while a recent AT&T incident allowed hackers to access around six months of customer call and text interactions. But what do bad actors do with all this data?

John from Jackson, Mississippi, asked a similar question that I want to highlight and address because it helps all of us:

“What do you mean when you say a company has exposed 2.3 million or whatever in a data breach? This happens often, but there is never any follow-up. It’s like throwing address labels in a trash can, and then they are carried to the landfill. So? What really happens with a data breach?”

I get what you’re saying, John. Data breaches make headlines, but you rarely hear about the fallout. It’s tough to link a specific breach to a specific problem later on. Below is a detailed look at what a data breach actually means.

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Illustration of a hacker at work (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Data breach explained

A data breach occurs when an unauthorized person gains access to information that is meant to be confidential, private, protected or sensitive. Think of it this way: You have personal information that you trusted a friend with, but while sharing it, someone who wasn’t supposed to know it overheard it.

A real-life example is the AT&T data breach mentioned earlier. Your call logs and text interactions that were meant to be private and which you trusted AT&T to protect ended up in the hands of hackers. These details can now be used by bad actors to scam you.

Data breaches can happen in a few ways. Hackers might target specific organizations or launch broad attacks hoping to steal certain kinds of data. They can also use targeted cyberattacks to go after specific individuals.

Sometimes, data breaches occur due to honest mistakes or oversights by employees. Weaknesses in an organization’s systems and infrastructure can also leave them vulnerable to data breaches.

Illustration of a hacker at work (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

MASSIVE DATA BREACH EXPOSES 3 MILLION AMERICANS’ PERSONAL INFORMATION TO CYBERCRIMINALS

Anatomy of a deliberate data breach

Here’s what typically happens in a data breach that’s deliberately caused:

Research: Cybercriminals often begin by identifying a target, such as a large corporation like AT&T, focusing on the type of data they want, which could include personal customer information. They search for weaknesses in the company’s security, which might involve exploiting system flaws or targeting network infrastructure.

Attack: The attackers make their initial move using either a network or social attack. Common methods include phishing attacks, where individuals are tricked into revealing personal information; malware attacks that can steal or encrypt data; and denial-of-service attacks that disrupt services. These tactics can compromise the personal information of customers, such as names, addresses, phone numbers and even payment information.

Exfiltration: Once inside the company’s systems, cybercriminals tunnel their way to confidential data. For individuals, this means that their personal information can be extracted and sold on the dark web, used for identity theft or for other malicious purposes. The impact on individuals can be severe, including financial loss, damage to credit scores and the emotional stress of having personal information exposed and misused.

Illustration of a hacker at work (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

WORLD’S LARGEST STOLEN PASSWORD DATABASE UPLOADED TO CRIMINAL FORUM

What happens once the hackers have the data?

Once the hackers obtain protected and confidential data, they have various ways to profit from it. They can use compromised data for illegal activities, including identity theft, financial fraud, spamming or even extortion. Information such as email addresses and phone numbers can be used in phishing scams.

Sometimes, this data is also posted on dark web forums for sale. It can be purchased by other criminals, who may use it for various illicit activities. Just as you don’t hear about every burglary, homicide or battery, you don’t hear about each instance of these criminal activities.

They only make headlines when something significant occurs, such as the incident where hackers scammed a Colorado woman out of $25,000 or when a man was arrested for scamming a Kalispell, Montana, woman of $150,000.

Data breaches impact not only customers but also the companies involved. These companies may face government fines or lawsuits. For example, AT&T is currently dealing with a class-action lawsuit due to a security breach in 2022 that exposed months’ worth of data from nearly all its customers. Similarly, T-Mobile is facing a lawsuit related to a data breach that affected millions of people.

Illustration of a hacker at work (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

CYBERCRIMINALS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CROWDSTRIKE-LINKED GLOBAL COMPUTER OUTAGE

How to protect yourself from data breaches?

It’s primarily the responsibility of companies or online services to keep your data safe, but if it gets exposed, here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Change your passwords

If hackers have recorded your passwords, they could access your online accounts and steal your data or money. ON ANOTHER DEVICE (i.e., your laptop or desktop), you should change your passwords for all your important accounts, such as email, banking, social media, etc. You want to do this on another device so that the hacker isn’t recording you setting up your new password on your hacked device. And you should also use strong and unique passwords that are hard to guess or crack. You can also use a password manager to generate and store your passwords securely.

2. Enable two-factor authentication

Activate two-factor authentication (2FA) for an extra layer of security on all your important accounts, including email, banking and social media. 2FA requires you to provide a second piece of information, such as a code sent to your phone, in addition to your password when logging in. This makes it significantly harder for hackers to access your accounts, even if they have your password. Enabling 2FA can greatly reduce the risk of unauthorized access and protect your sensitive data.

3. Monitor your accounts and transactions

You should check your online accounts and transactions regularly for any suspicious or unauthorized activity. If you notice anything unusual, immediately report it to the service provider or authorities. You should also review your credit reports and scores to see if there are any signs of identity theft or fraud.

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4. Contact your bank and credit card companies

If hackers have obtained your bank or credit card information, they could use it to make purchases or withdrawals without your consent. You should inform your bank and credit card companies of the situation. They can help you freeze or cancel your cards, dispute any fraudulent charges and issue new cards for you.

You should also contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian or TransUnion) and request a fraud alert to be placed on your credit file. This will make it more difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name without verification. You can even freeze your credit, if need be.

5. Use personal data removal services

Consider investing in personal data removal services that specialize in continuously monitoring and removing your personal information from various online databases and websites. These services employ advanced tools and techniques to identify and eliminate your data from people-search sites, data brokers and other platforms where your information might be exposed. By using a data removal service, you can minimize the risk of identity theft and fraud, especially after a data breach. Additionally, these services often provide ongoing monitoring and alerts, keeping you informed of any new instances of your data appearing online and taking immediate action to remove it. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.

6. Sign up for identity theft protection

Identity theft protection companies can monitor personal information like your home title, Social Security Number, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

7. Alert your contacts

If hackers have accessed your email or social media accounts, they could use them to send spam or phishing messages to your contacts. They could also impersonate you and ask for money or personal information. You should alert your contacts and warn them not to open or respond to any messages from you that seem suspicious or unusual.

Kurt’s key takeaway

The impact of a data breach may not be immediate, but once your data is on the internet, it can be misused by bad actors. They can steal your hard-earned money, cause emotional and mental harm or affect your loved ones. So, even if you don’t see the immediate impact of a data breach, take action. Ensure your devices are protected, and keep a close eye on your bank accounts.

Have you ever noticed unusual activity in your accounts after a data breach was reported? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Microsoft’s first Windows 11 update of 2026 stopped some computers from shutting down

Published

2 hours ago

January 18, 2026

Press Room

Microsoft’s first Windows 11 update of 2026 stopped some computers from shutting down

Microsoft has identified issues upon installing the January 2026 Windows security update. To address these issues, an out-of-band (OOB) update was released today, January 17, 2026.

– Connection and authentication failures in remote connection applications: This issue affects multiple platforms including Windows 11, version 25H2; Windows 10, version 22H2 ESU; and Windows Server 2025. See the bottom of this message for the complete list of affected products.

-Devices with Secure Launch might fail to shut down or hibernate: This issue only affects Windows 11, version 23H2.

Technology

Fiber broadband giant investigates breach affecting 1M users

Published

3 hours ago

January 18, 2026

Press Room

Fiber broadband giant investigates breach affecting 1M users

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Brightspeed, one of the largest fiber broadband providers in the United States, is investigating claims that hackers stole sensitive data tied to more than 1 million customers.

The allegations surfaced when a group calling itself the Crimson Collective posted messages on Telegram warning Brightspeed employees to check their email. The group claims it has access to over 1 million residential customer records and threatened to release sample data if the company does not respond.

At this point, Brightspeed has not confirmed a breach. However, the company says it is actively investigating what it calls a potential cybersecurity event.

DATA BREACH EXPOSES 400,000 BANK CUSTOMERS’ INFO

Fiber networks carry massive amounts of personal data, which makes internet providers attractive targets for extortion groups. (Philip Dulian/picture alliance via Getty Images)

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What the hackers say they stole

According to Crimson Collective, the stolen data includes a wide range of personally identifiable information. The group claims it has access to:

Customer names, email addresses and phone numbers
Home and billing addresses
User account details linked to session or user IDs
Payment history and partial payment card information
Appointment and order records tied to customer accounts

If accurate, that combination of data could create serious identity theft and fraud risks for affected customers.

Brightspeed responds to the allegations

Brightspeed says it takes the situation seriously, even as it continues to verify the claims.

In a statement shared with BleepingComputer, the company said it is rigorously monitoring threats and working to understand what happened. Brightspeed added that it will keep customers, employees and authorities informed as more details become available.

So far, there has been no public notice on Brightspeed’s website or social media channels confirming customer data exposure.

Who Brightspeed is and why this matters

Brightspeed is a U.S. telecommunications and internet service provider founded in 2022 after Apollo Global Management acquired local exchange assets from Lumen Technologies.

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company serves rural and suburban communities across 20 states. It has rapidly expanded its fiber footprint, passing more than 2 million homes and businesses and aiming to reach over 5 million locations.

Because Brightspeed focuses on underserved areas, many customers rely on it as their primary internet provider. That makes any potential breach especially concerning.

A closer look at Crimson Collective

Crimson Collective is not new to high-profile targets. In October, the group breached a GitLab instance tied to Red Hat, stealing hundreds of gigabytes of internal development data.

That incident later rippled outward. In December, Nissan confirmed that personal data for about 21,000 Japanese customers was exposed through the same breach.

More recently, researchers say Crimson Collective has targeted cloud environments, including Amazon Web Services, by abusing exposed credentials and creating rogue access accounts to escalate privileges.

In other words, the group has a track record that makes its claims hard to ignore.

What this could mean for customers

Even though Brightspeed has not confirmed a breach, the claims alone are enough to raise red flags. If customer data was accessed, it could be used for phishing scams, account takeovers or payment fraud.

Cybercriminals often move fast after breaches. That means customers should stay alert even before an official notice appears.

CyberGuy reached out to Brightspeed for comment, and a spokesperson told us,

“We take the security of our networks and protection of our customers’ and employees’ information seriously and are rigorous in securing our networks and monitoring threats. We are currently investigating reports of a cybersecurity event. As we learn more, we will keep our customers, employees, stakeholders and authorities informed.”

JANUARY SCAMS SURGE: WHY FRAUD SPIKES AT THE START OF THE YEAR

How to protect your personal data and online accounts

Even if this Brightspeed investigation does not end up impacting your account, these steps are worth following. Most data breaches lead to the same downstream risks, like phishing scams, account takeovers and identity theft. Building these habits now can help protect you across all your online accounts.

Cybercriminals often use public posts and countdowns to pressure companies into responding quickly. (Sebastian Kahnert/picture alliance via Getty Images)

1) Watch for phishing attempts

Scammers often take advantage of breach headlines to create panic. Be cautious with emails, calls or texts that mention your internet account billing problems or service changes. If a message pushes urgency or pressure, pause before responding.

2) Avoid suspicious links and attachments

Do not click links or open attachments tied to account notices or payment issues. Instead, open a new browser window and go directly to the company’s official website or app. Strong antivirus software adds another layer of protection against malicious downloads.

The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

3) Update your account passwords

Change your Brightspeed account password and review passwords on other important accounts. Use strong, unique passwords that you do not reuse elsewhere. A trusted password manager can generate and store complex passwords, which makes account takeovers much harder.

Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our #1 password manager (see Cyberguy.com/Passwords) pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com

4) Reduce your data footprint

Personal data spreads quietly across data broker sites. Using a data removal service can help limit how much of your information is publicly available. Less exposed data means fewer opportunities for scammers to target you.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com

5) Turn on account alerts

Brightspeed lets customers turn on account and billing alerts through the My Brightspeed site or app. You can choose which notifications you receive by email or text. Alerts can help you catch unusual activity early and respond before more damage occurs.

6) Monitor your financial accounts closely

Check bank and credit card statements often. Look for small or unfamiliar charges since criminals sometimes test stolen data with low-dollar transactions before attempting larger fraud.

7) Consider fraud alerts or a credit freeze

If sensitive information may have been exposed, placing a fraud alert or credit freeze can add protection. These steps make it harder for criminals to open new accounts in your name. To learn more about how to do this, go to Cyberguy.com and search “How to freeze your credit.”

You may also want to consider an identity theft protection service that monitors for suspicious activity and sends alerts. Identity Theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security number (SSN), phone number, and email address, and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals.

See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com

When personal and billing information is exposed, the risk extends beyond one company to everyday customers. (Pixelfit/Getty Images)

Kurt’s key takeaways

Brightspeed’s investigation is still unfolding, and the company says it will share updates as it learns more. Until then, the claims highlight how valuable customer data has become and how aggressively extortion groups are targeting infrastructure providers. For customers, caution is the best defense. For companies, transparency and speed will matter if these claims turn out to be real.

Do you feel companies are doing enough to keep your personal data safe? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Technology

The Setapp Mobile iOS store is shutting down on February 16th

Published

14 hours ago

January 18, 2026

Press Room

The Setapp Mobile iOS store is shutting down on February 16th

Setapp Mobile was a bold, breakthrough project that aimed to provide EU iOS users with access to alternative app marketplaces – creating a new app ecosystem where both developers and users could thrive. We are proud of what we have accomplished with it over the past two years and still believe passionately in this vision.

As a result of still-evolving commercial conditions, we have determined that it is not viable to continue development or support for Setapp Mobile within Setapp’s current business model.

While we are disappointed to discontinue Setapp Mobile, we are looking forward to pursuing the development of other innovations. We are excited to focus efforts on various projects that will launch later this year. This includes Eney, a first-of-its-kind AI assistant native to macOS, and new enhancements to Setapp Desktop.