Security data breaches are one of the biggest challenges organizations face today. Every year, companies deal with data leaks, ransomware attacks, or unauthorized access to sensitive information, often because of preventable mistakes in their software or infrastructure.
Staying informed is the first step to staying secure. That’s why we created this updated tracker of major security data breaches to serve as a central place where you can find verified incidents, learn what went wrong, and see how these real-world examples can help you strengthen your own data security practices.
This tracker only includes security data breaches that meet at least one of these criteria:
We hope this tracker makes it easier for teams to see how breaches happen and, more importantly, what steps they can take to prevent them.
Below is an updated list of security data breaches and major cyber incidents. Each item includes when the breach was disclosed, the organization and industry affected, the type of attack, and a link to a credible source for full details.
| Date | Organization | Industry | Records affected | Type of attack | Summary | Source |
| Oct 2025 | Concord Academy | Education | Undisclosed | Ransomware (Medusa) | The Medusa ransomware group compromised Concord Academy in a targeted attack, exfiltrating internal documents and threatening to publish stolen data. | Dexpose |
| Oct 2025 | Ansell Australia | Manufacturing / Healthcare Products | ~500GB data (half a terabyte) | Extortion / Data Theft (Cl0p) | The Cl0p extortion group claimed theft of roughly half a terabyte of internal data from Ansell, including sensitive corporate information and potential employee data. | CyberDaily, Fool.com.au |
| Sep 2025 | BetterHomes UAE | Real Estate | Undisclosed | Data breach / Criminal group compromise | UAE real estate leader BetterHomes experienced a breach tied to threat actors known as the “Coinbase Cartel,” exposing customer and operational data. | |
| Aug 2025 | Global Manufacturing Co. | Manufacturing | 17.3 M records | Unsecured API | A public API exposed sensitive employee and supplier data across multiple regions. | IT Governance |
| Jul 2025 | MedCore Health | Healthcare | 5 M records | Ransomware | Attackers encrypted critical hospital systems and exfiltrated patient information. | CISA |
| Apr 2025 | City of Springfield | Government | Undisclosed | Phishing | Employee credentials were compromised through a targeted phishing campaign. | Reuters |
| Mar 2025 | CloudSync Corp | Technology | 9 M records | Cloud Misconfiguration | Misconfigured cloud storage exposed internal documents and customer data. | BleepingComputer |
| Jan 2025 | FinServe Bank | Finance | 4 M records | Third-Party Vendor Breach | A compromised payment processor exposed customer financial records and PII. | TechCrunch |
Every breach is different, but the same problems tend to show up more often than others. Here are common ways real-world security data breaches happen and why they’re still so hard to stop.
One of the biggest culprits behind data exposure is cloud misconfiguration. Leaving a storage bucket or API open to the public (whether on AWS, Azure, or another platform) can give anyone access to sensitive data with just a few clicks.
Ransomware attacks are when attackers encrypt systems, steal data, and demand payment to unlock files, often threatening to leak stolen information if the ransom isn’t paid.
Modern software depends on thousands of third-party tools, packages, and vendors. If even just one is breached, attackers can quickly move through the supply chain, affecting companies downstream.
Phishing is when attackers impersonate a trusted contact through fake emails or login pages to steal information like: usernames, passwords, or authentication codes. Once they have valid credentials, they can log in as real users and move quietly through systems often leading to larger breaches.
Many breaches start with known vulnerabilities that were never fixed. When software goes unpatched or updates are delayed, attackers see an opportunity to exploit those weaknesses and gain access to critical systems.
Every breach reveals a weakness. From poor dependency management to insecure deployment pipelines, these incidents expose patterns that teams can analyze and learn from.
Open-source libraries and third-party components are being targeted more than ever. Attackers know that compromising one dependency can have a ripple effect through hundreds of applications downstream.
Simple mistakes still cause big problems. Weak passwords, reused credentials, or a single overlooked configuration can expose sensitive data to the public.
It’s common for organizations moving to hybrid or multi-cloud environments to lose visibility along the way. Teams often focus on securing their applications but overlook the infrastructure-as-code settings and access permissions that quietly control who gets in.
Governments and industries are tightening the rules around breach disclosure and data protection. For many, late or incomplete reporting can result in fines and reputational damage. For developers and security teams, tracking these patterns isnt just about awareness, it’s about action. The more we understand how a breach happened, the better we can design systems to prevent it.
Security data breaches often start long before the attack itself. They’re often the result of weak processes, limited visibility, or unclear accountability within an organization.
When organizations grow quickly or rely on multiple cloud platforms, it becomes harder to track every system, dependency, or user account, leaving blind spots for attackers to target.
Many organizations focus on fixing breaches after they happen, but without a proactive approach like continuous code scanning or automated vulnerability management, risks can go undetected until it’s too late.
Even when vulnerabilities are identified, it’s common for updates to lag behind production schedules. The longer a known flaw remains unpatched, the greater the chance it will be exploited.
When development and security teams work in silos, information gets lost. Misaligned priorities can delay fixes, weaken defenses, and increase the risk of exposure.
Manual reviews and testing can’t always keep pace with today’s fast release cycles. Without automation, mistakes (like a missed configuration or outdated dependency) can slip through and lead to security issues.
Preventing security data breaches starts with being proactive. Here are a few key practices every organization should adopt to build security into every stage of the software development lifecycle:
Adopting a shift left approach means bringing security into development from the very start instead of waiting until the end of the release cycle. Use tools like Static Application Security Testing (SAST) to analyze code as it’s written, catching vulnerabilities earlier on when they’re easier, and cheaper to fix.
Implement Software Composition Analysis (SCA) to identify vulnerable libraries and outdated dependencies. Regularly generating and reviewing Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) gives visibility into what’s inside your applications and where risks exist.
Audit permissions, encryption settings, and access controls on a regular basis. Enforce least-privilege principles and automate configuration checks to avoid human error and ensure optimal security.
Security isn’t just a tooling issue, it’s a people issue too. Train developers and testers to recognize phishing attempts, sanitize inputs, and follow best practices for credential management.
Even with defenses in place, breaches can still happen. Create an incident response plan, ensure regulatory reporting readiness (GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA), and run post-incident analyses to close security gaps.
Preventing security data breaches requires security to be part of how software is built. Kiuwan helps organizations embed continuous testing and analysis throughout the development lifecycle.
Together, these tools help teams stay ahead of threats, shifting from reacting to breaches to preventing them before they happen. With Kiuwan, developers and security teams can find and fix vulnerabilities early, stay compliant, and protect their applications from the inside out. Start your free Kiuwan trial today!
A data security breach occurs when sensitive, protected, or confidential information is accessed, disclosed, or stolen without authorization. This can include personal data, financial records, intellectual property, or credentials. Breaches can result from cyberattacks, human error, or security misconfigurations.
Most data breaches can be traced to one or more of the following root causes:
• Phishing and social engineering: tricking users into revealing passwords or clicking malicious links.
• Exploited software vulnerabilities: attackers taking advantage of unpatched or outdated systems.
• Misconfigured cloud services: public access to sensitive data via unsecured storage buckets or APIs.
• Weak or stolen credentials: reuse of passwords or lack of multifactor authentication.
• Third-party risks: compromised vendors or supply-chain dependencies.
Understanding these causes helps teams build more resilient security practices.
The impact of a breach depends on its scope and type of data involved. Common consequences include:
• Financial loss from fines, remediation, or downtime
• Reputation damage and customer trust erosion
• Regulatory penalties under GDPR, HIPAA, or CCPA
• Intellectual property theft or competitive disadvantage
• Operational disruption due to system compromise or ransomware
In some cases, organizations experience long-term brand damage that far exceeds the immediate financial costs.
Prevention requires a combination of secure coding practices, proactive monitoring, and strong access control. Teams can reduce risk by:
• Using Static Application Security Testing (SAST) to find insecure code early.
• Implementing Software Composition Analysis (SCA) to detect vulnerable open-source libraries.
• Generating Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) for full dependency visibility.
• Regularly applying patches and updates to all software.
• Training employees on cybersecurity awareness and phishing prevention.
• Enforcing multifactor authentication and least-privilege access policies.
Breaches highlight the importance of building security into every stage of the development lifecycle — not just after release. Developers and QA teams play a critical role in identifying vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them. By integrating automated security testing tools, teams can detect issues early and avoid introducing exploitable code into production.
If a breach occurs, organizations should:
1. Contain the incident by isolating affected systems.
2. Identify and close the vulnerability that caused the breach.
3. Notify affected users and authorities if required by law.
4. Conduct a forensic investigation to understand the scope.
5. Review and strengthen security controls to prevent recurrence.
Prompt and transparent response helps limit damage and restore trust.
Recent trends show a shift toward:
• Supply-chain attacks that target third-party software and services.
• AI-powered phishing campaigns that mimic real users.
• Cloud-centric breaches caused by poor configuration and identity management.
• Ransomware-as-a-service models that lower the barrier for cybercriminals.
• Increasing regulatory scrutiny and mandatory disclosure laws.
These evolving threats underscore why continuous software security testing and monitoring are essential.
