Data breaches are an unfortunate reality of technology in the 21st century. Although significant amounts of resources are invested into developing data security, there is still an alarming amount of flaws that are exploited by those who would wish to access private information. According to privacyrights.org, a self described “nonprofit organization focused on increasing access to information, policy discussions and meaningful rights so that data privacy can be a reality for everyone”, over 1,000 data breaches were recorded between January 2022 and January 2023, resulting in the compromise of an estimated 60 million records.

This organization has managed to collect an overwhelming amount of reported statistics, effectively identifying trends and at-risk industries, with the ultimate purpose of shaping policy and driving those important conversations with lawmakers in support of data privacy. These statistics are critical in forming the puzzle of what industries are most vulnerable, and what sort of security failures led to the breach of data. Data privacy and data security are two complex topics, which requires organizations and professionals such as those involved with Privacy Rights Clearinghouse to continue to report on identified breaches, so that researches and ultimately lawmakers can continue to push towards a future where data and privacy are guarantees.