The Dark Art of Data Breaches: Analyzing the Top 3 Incident Classification Patterns

Jesse Shelley
6 min readJust now
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Navigating the complex world of cybersecurity often feels like walking through a minefield. Data breaches lurk at every corner, waiting to disrupt organizations of all sizes and industries. To help understand and mitigate these threats, the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report offers detailed insights into the incident patterns that lead to these breaches. This guide breaks down the top three patterns: System Intrusions, Social Engineering, and Miscellaneous Errors. Whether you’re a seasoned cybersecurity professional or just getting into the field, this breakdown will give you the tools to understand these patterns and, more importantly, how to defend against them.

1. System Intrusions: The Sophisticated Breach

System intrusions are the most complex and dangerous breaches that an organization can face. They are the cyber equivalent of a high-tech heist, where attackers don’t just steal assets — they gain control over your systems. In the 2024 Verizon Data Breach

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Jesse Shelley
Jesse Shelley

Written by Jesse Shelley

Extensive experience in criminal investigations, evidence custody, IT administration, and Information Security.