"8 Million Victims in the World's Biggest Cyber Heist"

You may have seen that bold headline in this weeks story by Glasgow's Sunday Herald, along with similar reports as other sources picked up the news.

The scoop: attackers reportedly loaded a Trojan onto a Best Western Hotels computer and stole employee log-in details - giving them access to customer information and opening up the possibility that the personal data of all those who have stayed at Best Western Hotels since 2007 may be compromised.

However, the facts supporting this story are still unfolding. Best Western has refuted the scope of the claims, maintaining that the breach was limited to no more than a dozen customer records.

While the details of this specific breach remain unclear, there's no doubting the reality that data breaches, in general, are on the rise. According to a new study, more data breaches have been reported so far this year than in all of 2007.

The truth, albeit a scary one, is that your private information spells a profit for scammers. Todays cyber criminals will look for any and every opportunity to get a hold of your data - trading it to someone else (as seen in the recent news of a million bank account details sold on eBay) or using it themselves - in order to gain from it.

If you want to learn tips on preventing fraud and identity theft, visit our Security Center today.