Is dataloss becoming the next 'computer virus' trend?

[Richard Forno <rforno () infowarrior org>]

We see these reports of data loss, laptop theft, databse compromises, etc,
etc, etc on a weekly, if not daily basis.  Some of these are quite large,
too. Yet after the initial hysteria of "yet another theft of data" story
making the rounds in the media, is anyone tracking not just the number of
events, but the outcome of such events over time?

I can't remember too many dataloss cases that had much of a "tail" to them
after the initial event was reported in the media: What happens after the
organization in question notifies their victims?  Does it engage in any
[effective] corrective action to remedy the problem that caused the data
loss?  Does anyone get fired? Fined? Arrested?  Do the victims sue?  Do
regulators (state/federal/local) get involved? Or does life just go on and
the organization in question (or victims) just brush the event off as
another consequence of doing business in the information age, much like
dealing with the latest Windows worm/virus/trojan?

Consequently, I wonder if "data loss" is fast becoming the new computer
virus in terms of what I sense is a growing "routine-ness" about how the
media covers such events -- especially if nothing much ever is done to deal
with it by the affected entities or to hold their feet to the proverbial
(and public) fire of accountability.  Which raises the question, I think, of
how seriously folks (companies and individuals alike) take this entire issue
in a broad sense.

Thoughts? 

-rick
Infowarrior.org


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