A data breach is an incident where unauthorized individuals gain access to sensitive, protected, or confidential data. This can occur due to various reasons such as hacking, malware attacks, phishing, or human error. Data breaches can result in significant financial losses, damage to reputation, and legal consequences for the affected organization.
Example: In 2017, Equifax, a major credit reporting agency, experienced a massive data breach where the personal information of approximately 147 million people was exposed. This included names, social security numbers, birth dates, and addresses.
To prevent data breaches, organizations can implement robust security measures such as encryption, access controls, and regular security audits. Additionally, utilizing cloud security services like Tencent Cloud's Security Center can provide advanced threat detection and protection to safeguard data stored in the cloud.