Let’s take a look at a brief overview of data leaks from last week. In the spotlight: IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Dymocks, Connecticut Department of Insurance to Hearst Connecticut Media, LastPass, UK Met Police, Freecycle, Sabre.

IBM has begun alerting users of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen CarePath, a healthcare service program, about a potential leak of their personal information. This is due to a data breach involving a third-party database where patient data was stored.

Dymocks, a prominent bookstore chain, has issued a warning to its customers about a possible data breach, with a risk of their information being sold on the dark web. Mark Newman, the Managing Director of Dymocks, alerted customers through an email, emphasizing that the company detected suspicious activity indicating a breach two days prior. He further urged the customers to “be vigilant” and closely monitor their accounts, stating that some of their details might have been compromised. The chain recognized the breach on September 6 and has since initiated an investigation, which, so far, points to a severe data security issue.

Connecticut is still grappling with the aftermath of a data breach from May. A report provided by the Connecticut Department of Insurance to Hearst Connecticut Media revealed that over 255,000 insurance consumers in the state had their personal information compromised. The breach affected clients from as many as three dozen insurance providers.

LastPass, a popular password management tool, allegedly experienced a data breach at the close of the previous year, affecting several of its password vaults. Since then, a series of significant cryptocurrency thefts, all seemingly linked to the LastPass incident, have taken place. The most recent research indicates that a vast majority of these victims had LastPass in use.

A significant data breach under investigation by the UK Met Police poses a threat to the safety of law enforcement personnel. Personal details of officers and staff, including potentially those of undercover agents, are feared to be compromised following unauthorized access to the IT systems of a Met supplier.

Sabre, a leading travel booking entity, is currently probing allegations of a cyberattack after files claimed to be stolen from them surfaced on a cyber extortion group’s platform. “We are closely examining the claims made by the threat group to determine their accuracy,” commented Sabre spokesperson Heidi Castle.

Freecycle, an online forum, announced its ordeal with a significant data breach impacting over 7 million of its users. BleepingComputer highlighted that the nonprofit confirmed this breach through a notification on its platform. The revelation comes on the heels of a hacker putting up the stolen data for sale on a dark web forum in late May.