The Anatomy of Data Breaches

Understanding how breaches occur provides crucial insights for implementing effective defenses. SQL injection remains surprisingly common, exploiting poor input validation to access or modify database contents. Even with prepared statements widely available, legacy code and rushed implementations continue to create vulnerabilities. Cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks can lead to session hijacking, exposing user data through compromised authentication tokens.

Insider threats, whether malicious or accidental, represent a significant risk often underestimated in security planning. Employees with legitimate access may exfiltrate data for personal gain or accidentally expose information through misconfigured systems. Social engineering attacks target human vulnerabilities, bypassing technical controls through deception. Phishing campaigns specifically targeting employees with database access have proven devastatingly effective.

Supply chain attacks have emerged as a sophisticated threat vector. Attackers compromise third-party components or services to gain access to multiple targets simultaneously. The SolarWinds breach demonstrated how trusted software updates could serve as attack vectors, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security approaches that extend beyond organizational boundaries.