October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Days into the month so let's take a quick look at the top 3 security breaches to this point – at least reported…

T-mobile applicants' personal data stolen: names, drivers licenses for 15M US consumers who applied for service – related to database maintained by Experian (credit reporting agency); so more free credit monitoring for 2 years for the affected folks
http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/10/highly-personal-data-for-15-million-t-mobile-applicants-stolen-by-hackers/

Scottsdale, retail brokerage and stock trading company announced 4.6M customers' names, email addresses, and SSN hacked – identified by federal law enforcements….and yes, 1 year free credit monitoring is being offered.
http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/10/scottrade-breach-hits-4-6-million-customers/

Kmart – Australia – Exposure of customer names, email address, telephone, billing information and products purchased – from customers that used an online ordering system. Australian government is looking for mandatory breach notification legislation – sound familiar (it's a theme being played out in every country)
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/585784/kmart-australia-calls-police-over-security-breach/

We'll check back regarding the details that unfold; and in the interim, www.itbusinessedge.com provides some tips of prevention

1. Do End User Security Awareness
2. Have an encryption policy and enforcement it
3. Deploy Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems
4. Implemented Content Filtering to limit access to known malicious websites
5. Perform regular vulnerability assessment
6. Apply comprehensive patching from operating systems to 3^rd-party apps
7. Employ insider system monitoring such as Data Leakage Protection and understand behavior
8. Back up data – for recovery