IT Security Stories to Watch: Was Dow Jones Breached?

Dow Jones & Co. said a recent data breach involving unauthorized entry into its systems may have affected 3,500 individuals. 

And as a result, Dow Jones tops this week’s list of IT security newsmakers to watch, followed by Uber, Humana and PwC US.

What can managed service providers (MSPs) and their customers learn from these IT security newsmakers? Check out this week’s edition of IT security stories to watch to find out:

1. Dow Jones suffers data breach

Dow Jones last week noted that cyber attackers may have illegally accessed contact information for current and former subscribers.

Unauthorized access to Dow Jones’ systems may have taken place between August 2012 and July 2015, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

“It appears that the focus was to obtain contact information such as names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers of current and former subscribers in order to send fraudulent solicitations,” Dow Jones CEO William Lewis wrote in a letter to customers.

2. Was Lyft responsible for Uber’s data breach?

Ridesharing service Uber is investigating a data breach involving its drivers’ personal information, including an IP address that may be linked to Lyft Chief Technology Officer Chris Lambert.

Tech Times reported that papers filed in a San Francisco federal court revealed a culprit with a Comcast IP address had access to a security key that was used in the breach, and this IP address may have belonged to Lambert.

Approximately 50,000 Uber drivers may have been affected by unauthorized access to an Uber database.

3. Humana notifies customers about stolen laptop, documents 

Health insurance agency Humana pointed out that an encrypted laptop and documents containing patient data were stolen from an employee’s vehicle. 

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Humana has begun contacting those who may have been affected by the incident. 

“At this point, Humana has no reason to believe that the information has been used inappropriately,” Humana said. 

4. PwC US: C-suite is embracing analytics for IT security

A new PwC US survey showed that many chief information officers (CIOs) and chief security officers (CSOs) are leveraging analytics tools to bolster their IT security. 

PwC US’s “The Global State of Information Security Survey 2016” revealed 59 percent of respondents are leveraging data-powered analytics to improve their IT security.

“We are seeing more of what we once saw as a risk, being turned into possible solutions,” David Burg PwC’s global and US advisory cybersecurity leader, said in a prepared statement.

What are your thoughts on this week’s IT security stories to watch? Share your thoughts about this story in the Comments section below, via Twitter @dkobialka or email me atdan.kobialka@penton.com.