Data Breach vs. Security Breach
A security breach is when a company’s information is accessed without authorization. Typically, this incident will have resulted in unapproved access to corporate data, applications, networks, and devices. The breach occurs because the intruder has been able to bypass corporate security.
Although closely related, a data breach is subtly different from a security breach. A security breach implies unauthorized access, but a data breach means that the unauthorized access has resulted in information being extracted.
A data breach is more severe than a security breach because it typically involves the theft of confidential information, such as customer identities and financial details. This information can be sold to criminals via the dark Web.
However, a security incident does not necessarily equate to a complete breach. A phishing attack, malware infection, or employee device theft is a security incident, but it won’t be a breach if it has been contained and doesn’t end up with the threat actors gaining access to the network and corporate data.
