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It would appear that this breach as occurred due to a vulnerability in Abta’s web server, which was managed by a third-party supplier. Third parties are a consistent weakness and organisations cannot simply accept that their own defences are working as there could be a significant weak link in their supply chains. Home Depot’s 2014 breach has cost the company at least $179 million due to stolen credentials from a third-party vendor.

Data such as emails and passwords can be hugely valuable in the wrong hands. To avoid situations such as this, organisations need to understand the hidden value of their data, and exactly where is it held within the organisation. Some simple process questions and tighter execution can quickly resolve problems such as these. In doing so, they must also consider why criminals might find it valuable – one man’s trash could be a cybercriminal’s treasure.