^{Visit PrivacyRights.org to see the types of publicly available information about data breaches.  How might researchers use this information to study breaches?  Enter a paragraph in your journal.} 

PrivacyRights.org offers several ways of investigating data breaches, and scholars can use this information. To determine the frequency and seriousness of such incidents over time, they can examine trends in the data. Obtained results can help them determine the most common leaks of data types, industries that are most susceptible to cyberattacks, and the most affected regions (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, n.d.). Researchers can use this information to anticipate future breaches and take proactive steps to alleviate or prevent their effects. Additionally, the data on PrivacyRights.org can assist researchers in finding similarities and patterns among various breaches. Scientists can examine the kinds of personal data, such as credit cards or social security numbers, that are often made public in such incidents (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, n.d.). With this knowledge, researchers can create tactics to stop specific types of breaches; they can also analyze cybercriminals’ motivations. Moreover, researchers can evaluate the efficacy of current breach notification laws and regulations. Finally, they can find possible gaps or weaknesses in current policies and suggest improvement by examining how quickly and accurately organizations report their data leaks.