Canva Data Security Breach

What would you do if your data ended up in the wrong hands?

This was the frightening reality faced by almost 140 million users of Australian online design platform Canva in a recent data security breach on May 24th.

This information breach saw the data of these users stolen by hackers who infiltrated the Canva systems.

Sensitive information stolen during this cyber breach included usernames and email addresses. Fortunately, users’ passwords remain encrypted, making them unreadable to external parties, and no credit card details or designs were accessed.

Canva advised customers to change their passwords as soon as possible as a precautionary measure.

You can read the official release from Canva regarding the data security breach here.

What is a data security breach?

This blanket term refers to any event that causes your – or your customers’ – data to be exposed, such as:

Cyber hackers break into a business’s network
Malware is installed in a business’s software to steal data
Thieves steal a business’s devices (e.g. computers, laptops, hard drives) that contain data
An employee sends sensitive customer data using a non-encrypted email
An issue with a business’s web hosting software causes data to be exposed online.

While some of these scenarios involve ill-meaning third parties, others can be put down to unfortunate accidents and human error.

What are the risks of a data security breach?

The consequences of a cyber breach to an individual or business depend on the type of data involved.

Identity Theft

This can happen when cyber hackers steal financial and personal information like credit card details to make purchases, withdraw money, and apply for loans.

Damage to Reputation

An information breach involving a company can negatively impact the business’s reputation.

Failing to protect customers’ information and falling victim to online hackers can cause current customers to lose confidence in the business – and drive away potential customers.

Leaked Trade Secrets

If a business’s strategies and/or intellectual properties are leaked, competing companies can use this information to their advantage.

Protect Yourself from an Information Breach with Shred-X

According to research by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), theft of a storage device accounted for 18% of reported data breaches related to malicious or criminal attacks in the three-month period ending 31 March 2019.

Shred-X provides professional e-waste services to protect your business from a cyber breach of this nature. These services include:

Unfortunately, a data security breach can happen to anyone – but leaving sensitive information on your old devices can make you even more vulnerable to an attack.

Disposing of any hard drives, USBs, mobile phones, laptops, computers, files, or anything else beyond its useful life correctly is the best way to protect your sensitive data.

Ensure your digital information is destroyed and contact the helpful team at Shred-X today.