Data Breach
Information Leak
The exposure of confidential data or personal information to outside parties.
In Simple Terms
A data breach happens when confidential data held by an organization or individual becomes known to outsiders or gets stolen. For example, it could mean a company's computer catching a virus and a customer list ending up online. It can also happen through a simple human error, like accidentally sending an email to the wrong company.
Behind the Name
This concept is often described in English as an "Information Leak" or a "Data Breach." "Leak" points to information getting out, while "breach" points to the security failure that let it happen.
Take a Closer Look!
A data breach is when personal information or confidential company data that's supposed to stay hidden ends up known to, or stolen by, outsiders who were never meant to see it. Simply put, it's when data you were protecting ends up leaking out into the open.
The causes behind this problem generally fall into two categories. One is malicious attackers stealing data after someone opens a virus-laden email or after a network vulnerability is exploited. The other is human error, like leaving a bag full of documents on a train or accidentally sending an email to the wrong recipient.
Once a data breach happens, it's extremely difficult to fully recover the data that got out. If personal information leaks, it can be misused for spam or scams, and a company that leaks information can lose a huge amount of public trust. That's why, alongside strengthening computer security, educating the people who handle data to be more security-conscious is also considered important.