10 Countries Battling Major Data Breaches; Canada Included

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Data breaches are a growing concern worldwide. Hackers exploit weak security systems or human error to steal sensitive information.

A cybersecurity firm, Surfshark, discovered a staggering 60.9 billion data points have been exposed since 2004, with email addresses being the most common target (17.2 billion). Each leaked email exposes an average of 2.5 additional data points.

A recent attack on Indonesia's Temporary National Data Center (PDNS) 2, using ransomware, crippled the servers of several government institutions. This incident highlights the need for robust cybersecurity measures. 

Indonesia, however, isn't alone. Many countries, including developed ones, face this threat. According to Surfshark, here is a list of 10 countries that have dealt with major data breaches as of April 2024:

1. United States

Each U.S. citizen has lost an average of 37 data points due to breaches since 2004. The most common leaks involve names, passwords, and compressed data formats, totaling over 12.5 billion data points compromised.

2. Russia

Data breaches in Russia have compromised over 4.3 billion data points, including personal details like names, phone numbers, last names, and passwords. A notorious 2019 case involved the black-market sale of personal information from 60 million Sberbank credit card holders.

3. China

China has seen roughly 2 billion data points exposed, including names, IP (internet protocol) addresses, usernames, encryption passwords, and passwords, totaling around 2 billion. A significant data leak in March 2019 compromised the data of 364 million WeChat and QQ users.

4. France

France has experienced over 1.4 billion data breaches, exposing information, such as birthdates, encryption passwords (password hashes), usernames, and passwords. One of the biggest cases was a ransomware attack targeting insurance giant AXA in May 2021.

5. Brazil

Brazil has surpassed 1.2 billion data leaks, compromising personal details, such as full names, addresses, and phone numbers. One of the largest data leaks in the country's history occurred in 2020, affecting 243 million people.

6. India

India has also seen over 1.2 billion data leaks, exposing information, such as names, phone numbers, and passwords. Several major companies have been targeted by cybercriminals, including the Aadhaar database, BigBasket, Air India, Dominos, and State Bank of India.

7. United Kingdom

The UK has suffered over 1.06 billion data leaks, compromising names, usernames, and passwords. A major cyberattack hit electronics retailer Dixons Carphone in July 2017, resulting in the loss of 14 million personal records and 5.6 million payment card details.

8. Germany

Germany has experienced nearly 1 billion data breaches, exposing information like IP addresses, usernames, and passwords. In August 2019, German authorities in the state of Hessen apprehended the hackers responsible for the country's biggest data leak on December 1-28, 2018, involving the theft of hundreds of politicians' personal data, such as mobile phone numbers, personal chat histories, and credit card details.

9. Italy

Italy has recorded over 645 million data breaches, compromising information like birthdates, names, usernames, and passwords. A major data leak in 2018 exposed the information of over 750,000 UniCredit customers.

10. Canada

Canada has surpassed 621 million data breaches, compromising personal information. A significant cyberattack on Desjardins Group in June 2023 resulted in the disclosure of data from 4.2 million customers.

While not currently in the Top 10, Indonesia previously held the third-place ranking (July-September 2022) with 108.9 million compromised accounts. The "Bjorka" incident, which gained significant online attention, is a major factor contributing to this rise.

MELYNDA DWI PUSPITA 

Editor's Choice: Top 5 Countries with Best Cyber Power, Including Australia

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