About 100 Million Russians’ Personal Data Leaked in 2020

According to researchers from InfoWatch, around 100 million records containing personal and payment information of Russian citizens were leaked online in 2020. The report identified the most common sources of these breaches and highlighted the proportion of intentional data compromises.

Main Causes of Data Leaks

InfoWatch experts explained that company employees were responsible for most data leaks, accounting for 80% of cases. The share of intentional data compromise by staff has also increased, now making up approximately three-quarters of such incidents.

Scale of the Problem

Researchers noted that about 100 million records of Russian citizens were leaked over the year. On a global scale, this number is much higher—around 11 billion records. Thus, Russian leaks account for only about 1% of global data breaches.

Most Affected Sectors

In Russia, the sectors most affected by data leaks were high technology, finance, and the public sector. Globally, the situation is similar, with high technology and healthcare leading, followed by the public sector.

Impact of Remote Work

InfoWatch pointed out that the widespread shift to remote work during the pandemic contributed to the increase in data leaks. Many incidents went undetected by security systems, as employees used unsecured personal computers and routers, creating additional vectors for data breaches.