Blackbaud Ransomware Attack Significantly Impacts Q3 Data Breach Trends

• Data breaches are down 30 percent in Q3 of 2020 compared to Q3 of 2019 when you look at the Blackbaud ransomware attack as a single event. 
• Data breaches are down 10 percent in Q3 of 2020 compared to Q3 of 2019 when you look at the Blackbaud ransomware attack as a series of data breaches.  
• Regardless of how the Blackbaud ransomware attack is viewed, the number of individuals impacted by a data breach is down nearly two-thirds.  
• Anyone who believes they are a victim of a data breach is encouraged to contact the Identity Theft Resource Center to learn more about the next step to take. Victims can call toll-free at 888.400.5530 or live-chat with an expert-advisor on the company website. 

2020 has seen many different data breach trends. In the first half of 2020, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) reported a 33 percent decrease in data breaches and a 66 percent decrease in individuals impacted. The ITRC has compiled the Q3 2020 data breach statistics, and the number of compromises has dropped. However, there is one data breach that skews all the data.

Two Ways to Look at the Numbers 

With the ongoing global pandemic and one particularly nasty ransomware attack against IT service provider, Blackbaud, reported in the third quarter, the Q3 numbers can be interpreted in two ways. 

Data Breaches Down 30 Percent Treating Blackbaud as a Single Event 

If we treat the Blackbaud attack as a single event, the number of data compromises reported so far in 2020 remains well below the 2019 trend line, with nearly a 30 percent decrease year-over-year. Looking at the rest of 2020, absent a significant data breach, 2020 could end with just over 1,000 data breaches. That would be the lowest number of breaches in five years, dating back to 2015. 

Data Breaches Down 10 Percent Treating Blackbaud as a Series of Breaches 

If the Blackbaud ransomware attack is treated as a series of data breaches, the year-over-year trend line changes significantly. However, the number of data breaches is still down in comparison to 2019. There have been 247 data breaches reported as a result of the Blackbaud ransomware attack. Once you add those to the overall number of data compromises, we go into Q4 with a 10 percent decrease in data breaches compared to this time last year.  

Individuals Impacted by Data Breaches Down Two-Thirds 

No matter how Blackbaud is categorized, one data point remains the same: the number of individuals who have been impacted in 2020 by an information breach. So far in 2020, roughly 292 million people have had their personal information compromised, nearly two-thirds fewer people than in 2019. The ITRC will have more information to share on our Q3 Data Breach Trends Report, which will be released later in October. We will also discuss the details on our sister podcast, The Fraudian Slip, in two weeks. 

Subscribe to the Weekly Breach Breakdown Podcast 

Every week, the ITRC looks at some of the top data compromises from the previous week, and other relevant cybersecurity news in our Weekly Breach Breakdown podcast. This week, we are looking at the Q3 data breach trends and the latest numbers.  

notified^TM 

For more information about recent data breaches, or any of the data breaches discussed in Q3, consumers and businesses should visit the ITRC’s new data breach tracking tool, notified. It is updated daily and free to consumers. Organizations that need comprehensive breach information for business planning or due diligence can access as many as 90 data points through one of the three paid notified subscriptions. Subscriptions help ensure the ITRC’s identity crime services stay free. 

Contact the ITRC 

If you receive a breach notice due to the Blackbaud ransomware attack or any other data compromise and want to know what steps to take to protect yourself, contact one of the ITRC expert advisors by phone toll-free 888.400.5530, or by live-chat on the company website. Victims of a data breach can also download the free ID Theft Help App to access advisors, resources, a case log and much more. 

Join us on our weekly data breach podcast to get the latest perspectives on the last week in breaches. Subscribe to get it delivered on your preferred podcast platform. 

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