Have you ever hit “send” on an email and immediately regretted it?

The consequences of such a simple mistake can be enormous, especially when the email contains sensitive information.

This scenario became a reality for Anthropic, when a simple human error led to the unintended leak of consumer data.

Let’s explore how one small oversight can have significant implications for an organisation’s reputation, and how your organisation can avoid making a similar mistake.

Understanding the Anthropic data breach

Understanding the breach

In January 2024, Anthropic, an AI startup known for its Claude family of large language models (LLMs) and chatbots, faced a cybersecurity incident due to human error.

The breach began when a contractor sent an unprotected email to a third party containing sensitive customer data, such as customer names and open credit balances.

The breach did not include banking or payment information.

Once the breach was discovered, Anthropic swiftly initiated an investigation to assess the extent of the incident and identify the underlying causes.

Anthropic stated this was an isolated incident caused by human error and not a representation of vulnerabilities within Anthropic’s systems.

However, the consequences of the breach were significant, as sensitive customer information had been compromised.

The company promptly emailed their database to confirm only a ‘subset’ of customers were affected and provided guidance on how to avoid potential phishing attacks, such as:

• Requests for payment
• Requests to amend payment instructions
• Emails containing suspicious links
• Requests for credentials or passwords

Reflecting on the breach

The Anthropic incident highlights how a small human error can lead to significant consequences.

Despite advances in technology, human error remains a major cause of data breaches. Professor Jeff Hancock’s study found that 88% of data breach incidents result from employee errors.

Notably, even large companies like Anthropic, often seen as tech leaders, can experience human error data breaches.

This challenges the belief that only smaller, less resourceful companies are vulnerable.

Such breaches can harm a company’s reputation and customer trust, especially when seen as preventable.

Anthropic’s swift apology and proactive steps to inform customers about potential scams show a commitment to addressing the issue and preventing future incidents through thorough investigation.

The Anthropic incident serves as a reminder of the importance of addressing human error in cybersecurity and taking immediate action to maintain trust and prevent future breaches.

The consequences of human error in data breaches:

• Reputation damage: Breaches can tarnish a company’s reputation, leading to a loss of trust and credibility.
• Loss of customer loyalty: Customers may take their business elsewhere, resulting in a decline in loyalty.
• Financial losses: Breaches incur costs for investigation, notification, and security measures, leading to financial losses.
• Regulatory compliance issues: Non-compliance with regulations can result in fines and reputational damage.
• Operational disruption: Breaches disrupt normal business operations, requiring resources for resolution.
• Legal consequences: Companies may face lawsuits and penalties for negligence in data protection.

How you can prevent human error data breaches

Employee training

Provide comprehensive cyber awareness training on data security protocols, including identifying phishing emails with simulations, proper handling of sensitive information, and adherence to company policies and procedures.

Regular awareness programs

Conduct regular awareness programs to keep employees updated on the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices for data protection.

Strong password policies

Enforce strong password policies, including regular password changes and multi-factor authentication, to add an extra layer of security.

Data encryption

Encrypt sensitive data both in transit and at rest to prevent unauthorised access in case of a breach.

Access controls

Implement access controls to limit employee access to sensitive data only to those who need it for their job roles.

Incident response plan

Develop and regularly update an incident response plan to outline steps to be taken in the event of a data breach, including communication protocols and actions to mitigate the impact.

Regular security audits

Conduct regular security audits to identify vulnerabilities and address them promptly.

Create a culture of security

Foster a culture of security within the organisation, where employees understand the importance of data protection and feel comfortable reporting potential security incidents.

How Bob’s Business can help your organisation

At Bob’s Business, we provide engaging solutions to help organisations reduce the risk of human error data breaches.

Our training and awareness programmes are designed to equip employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify and prevent cybersecurity threats.

To further help organisations address the growing threat of QR code phishing, we are offering a free QR code phishing campaign to test staff vulnerability!

Simply interact with the bot below to get started.