The number of data breaches in Ireland increased by 70% in the second quarter of the year, compared to the previous quarter, according to a new report from cybersecurity company Surfshark.
The study found that around 87,000 accounts were compromised in the second quarter, up from 51,000 in the first three months of the year, meaning 138,000 Irish accounts have been impacted by leaks in the first half of the year.
The research looked at breached or leaked email addresses used to register for online services as separate user accounts, which may have been leaked with additional information, such as password, phone number, and IP address.
Globally, the latest data shows a 34% increase from 70 million to 94 million leaked accounts.
The United States, France, India, Germany, and Israel were the countries most affected by breaches in the second quarter of the year.
Ireland ranks 38th globally for data breaches.
Surfshark’s analysis of data breaches since 2004 shows Ireland is the 4th in Northern Europe, with 27.3 million compromised user accounts.
“Whether sharing your name and address for food deliveries, or phone numbers when making a booking at a barber shop, there is no guarantee that businesses are keeping crucial information safe and secure,” said Sarunas Sereika, Product Manager, Surfshark.
“In the wrong hands, this data can be used to commit identity theft, via social media, for targeted scams or sold on the dark web – where they’re traded for further illegal use,” Mr Sereika said.
