Today’s most valuable currency is data. Breaches, information operations, analytics and behavior recognition are all driven by data and the desire to possess it, regardless of what those who possess it want to do with it. We set out to answer the question “What kind of data costs the most in a breach?” As it happens, that’s a complicated question. We’ll need to factor in many variables depending on the specifics of your business.
Want to generate some revenue? You need some data to create a business plan, develop intellectual property and conduct a sales campaign. Want to commit a crime? Lock up some data, hold it for ransom and prey on the emotions of the owner. Want to stir up some geopolitical tensions? Manipulate some code to disrupt an industry.
Every one of these acts comes downstream from data generation, regardless of its origin or type: personal information, health information, intellectual property, financial – you name it, the list goes on and on.
Think about it: if you have no data, there is likely no cost to you. Conversely, without data, you can’t generate a return, honest or illicit. Therefore, it’s important to remember the life cycle of data, from inception to destruction. The steps along the life cycle allow you to determine what the costs of a breach may be to you.
costs breach
