Another week, another headline about a major retailer suffering a cyber attack. While the media focuses on the millions lost in revenue and the operational chaos these incidents create, there’s a crucial angle that often gets buried in the coverage: your personal information.
At Cyber Trust, we worry that there’s a real danger in how these ‘big’ headlines are reported. The focus is always on ‘their’ problems, not ‘ours’. The bigger the numbers, the easier they become to ignore or dismiss. The bigger the company, the less likely it is to resonate with you or me. But this disconnect is dangerous because these corporate crises have very personal consequences.
The Hidden Impact on You
When we read about these massive breaches affecting household names, it’s easy to think “that’s their problem” or “my small business isn’t a target like that.” But here’s what rarely gets emphasised: if you’ve ever ordered anything from these retailers, even years ago, your personal information could now be compromised.
Think about it. How many online retailers have stored your email address, phone number, postal address, or payment card details? Each breach potentially puts your data at risk, whether you realise it or not.
The Ripple Effect You Don't See
Your compromised information doesn’t just disappear after a breach; it often ends up in the wrong hands, where it can be bought, sold, and used for identity theft, fraud, or targeted phishing attacks months or even years later.
But here's the kicker: you don't even need to be a customer to become a victim.
Cyber criminals capitalise on these high-profile breaches by sending convincing phishing emails to anyone and everyone, claiming to be from the affected retailer. They’re banking on people panicking and clicking links or sharing personal details to “secure their account”, even if they’ve never shopped there.
This is why these “big company problems” are actually everyone’s problems.
Your Best Defense: Simple but Crucial Steps
While you can’t control whether the companies you shop with get breached, you can significantly reduce your personal risk with two fundamental practices:
1. Unique Passwords for Every Account
If you’re still using the same password across multiple sites, you’re essentially handing cyber criminals the keys to your entire digital life. When one retailer gets breached and your password is exposed, attackers will try that same password on dozens of other popular sites. Don’t make it easy for them.
2. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Everywhere
This cannot be overstated: enable MFA on every account that offers it. Even if your password is compromised in a breach, MFA creates an additional barrier that stops most attacks in their tracks. It’s the single most effective step you can take to protect your accounts.
The Bigger Picture
These retail cyber attacks should serve as regular reminders that in our interconnected digital world, no one is immune to cyber risk. Every company you’ve ever given your details to represents a potential point of failure in your personal security.
The good news? You don’t need to stop shopping online or become a cyber security expert. You just need to adopt basic digital hygiene practices that take minutes to implement but provide years of protection.
Next time you see a headline about another major retailer being hit by cyber criminals, don’t just scroll past. Take a moment to check: Do you have an account with them? Are you using unique passwords? Is MFA enabled on your important accounts?
Because while they’re dealing with their millions in losses, you’ll be protecting what matters most to you: your personal information and digital identity.
Taking cyber security seriously doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with strong, unique passwords and MFA — your future self will thank you.