Data breaches are big news recently and it seems no-one is immune...

From Sony Online Entertainment's huge breach (and criticized response) to the Australian Government and the (slightly less recent) incredible embarrassment of Security Vendor RSA's breach and the Epsilon breach, which was largely publicized in Australia as the 'Dell Australia' breach.

Will the sheer number of high-profile data breaches provide some more motivation for businesses to employ better security safeguards and to demand vendors provide more secure products? Will they wake up the general populace to the importance of not using the same password for everything and opening every attachment that promises dancing pigs?

I won't hold my breath, but I will cross my fingers and hope.

The always interesting Verizon Annual Data Breach report [pdf] is out for 2011 and is (as always) as interesting as it is depressing. A big upswing (+22%) in externally-sourced attacks and a change of targets from Financial institutions to hospitality and retail are interesting. The fourth-highest number of breaches resulting from default or easily-guessable passwords is depressing.
Download it as it is well worth a read.