It’s that time of year again: The 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report is back with the top trends in security breaches over the past year. Read on for an at-a-glance look of some of the report’s most interesting—and actionable—findings.

Cyberattacks pose a growing threat across all industries, but healthcare is especially vulnerable. In 2023, hacking incidents in the healthcare sector accounted for 79.7% of data breaches. While patients, providers, and policymakers all have a stake in protecting health information, a critical weak point lies with the technology companies that offer electronic health record (EHR) systems. These systems hold a treasure trove of PHI, making them prime targets for cybercriminals.

Cloud storage services and SaaS apps like Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive provide convenient, scalable solutions for managing documents, photos, and more—making them indispensable for modern work and personal life. However, misconfigured settings and permissions can lead to serious security breaches, noncompliance, and even the loss of customer trust. Let’s explore the 5 most common misconfiguration issues with real-world examples.

Not long ago, most company resources were located within a defined perimeter and users worked in the office using company-owned devices. In that world, access-centric security policies were enough to safeguard sensitive data. But most organizations have now adopted a host of cloud applications, and users work from anywhere on any device and network. To secure sensitive data in this new setup, organizations must transition from an access-centric approach to a data-centric security approach.

In July 2022, the Pentagon’s acquisition office issued a memo reminding acquisition officials of the DoD’s requirements for handling controlled unclassified information (CUI). The standard which applies to Defense contractors is not new. The original Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) clause 252.204-7012 requirement went into effect in 2017.