Visit PrivacyRights.org to see the types of publicly available information about data breaches. How might researchers use this information to study breaches?

There are a lot of resources that can be gained from studying data breaches. For one, data breaches provide information on what kinds of organizations get targeted the most. This allows for cybersecurity protocols to be pushed their way and for things to overall improve. Furthermore, this applies to the types of breaches that happen in any organization and how they can be combated as well.

Second, the information can be used by researchers to propose new cybersecurity strategies and policies, improving quality and security. If the available data shows a continual problem, and the policy in place isn’t providing good results, then new perspectives could offer a difference.

Finally, data breach information can be used to inform the public about the reliability of the companies they care about. This will either form, reaffirm, or break the trust between consumers and companies; regardless, it will improve cyber hygiene and knowledge about cybersecurity for everyone.

In summary, the information from data breaches can provide several types of outcomes for companies, people, and policies. Funding for cybersecurity can go toward companies that are struggling in that department. New cybersecurity protocols can be introduced to counteract and mitigate common cyber-attacks. People can not only be informed about how trustworthy companies are but also learn how to protect them regarding cybersecurity.