A Wake-Up Call for the Digital World
Sheridan, WY, 3 November 2025 – The privacy technology company Proton, known for its secure email and VPN services, has issued an urgent warning about a massive wave of data breaches affecting businesses worldwide.
Through its data breach observatory, Proton Breach Observatory, Proton monitors the dark web to track stolen data and alert companies before major leaks become public. Their latest findings show that hundreds of millions of stolen logins are currently being traded online.
What Proton Found on the Dark Web
Proton’s research reveals that cybercriminals are targeting both large corporations and small businesses.
Recent data breaches have affected:
- Qantas Airways (Australia) – 11.8 million records leaked in October 2025.
- Allianz Life (Germany) – 1 million customer details stolen in September
- Tracelo (USA) – 1.4 million accounts exposed
- SkilloVilla (India) – 33 million education user profiles leaked
These attacks span telecommunications, finance, technology, transport, and education, showing that no industry is truly safe.
The Cost of a Breach
According to Proton, four out of five small businesses have suffered a data breach recently. Even one incident can cost over one million dollars in damages, lost trust, and legal issues. Worse still, most breaches go undetected for weeks or months, giving hackers plenty of time to exploit the stolen information.
Hackers are targeting much more than just passwords. The exposed data often includes:
- Full names
- Dates of birth
- Phone numbers and home addresses
- Emails and passwords
- Social security numbers or banking information
This combination of personal and financial data makes identity theft and online fraud significantly easier to carry out.
How Businesses Can Heal and Protect Themselves
Healing after a breach starts with quick action and strong prevention:
- Reset passwords immediately after any sign of compromise.
- Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all logins.
- Adopt password managers to create strong, unique passwords.
- Regularly check the Proton Data Breach Observatory or similar services to see if your data has been leaked.
- Educate employees on phishing and social engineering threats.
Proton’s mission goes beyond privacy – it focuses on digital resilience.
By continuously monitoring the dark web, the company aims to stop cyberattacks before they escalate, helping organizations protect users, data, and trust.
In a world where hackers never rest, tools like Proton’s observatory may become the early-warning systems businesses need to stay safe online.