Proton has launched a new initiative called the Data Breach Observatory. This program reveals serious problems that exist on the internet.
The cybersecurity company revealed that over 300 million stolen credentials are currently circulating on dark web cybercrime markets, putting businesses and individuals at unprecedented risk.
This massive exposure highlights the growing underground economy built on stolen personal and corporate data. The data paints a disturbing picture for small businesses, which have become prime targets for cybercriminals.
According to Proton’s research, four out of five small businesses have experienced a data breach recently. The financial impact is devastating, with a single incident potentially costing a small firm over one million dollars.
Despite these alarming statistics, most breaches go unreported, leaving companies unaware of their vulnerabilities until it’s too late. Traditional breach notification systems often fail to alert affected organizations promptly.
Small Businesses Face Million-Dollar Threats
Many businesses only discover they’ve been compromised months or even years after the initial attack. This delayed awareness gives cybercriminals ample time to exploit stolen credentials, leading to further security incidents, financial fraud, and identity theft.
Proton is taking a proactive approach by directly monitoring dark web marketplaces. The Data Breach Observatory continuously scours underground forums and criminal marketplaces where stolen data is bought and sold.
By capturing and analyzing these leaks in real time, Proton provides businesses with immediate alerts when their information appears on these platforms. The observatory’s latest findings reveal ten major data breaches from 2025 alone, affecting organizations across multiple industries and countries.
Among the most significant incidents is the Qantas Airways breach, which exposed information from 11.8 million records, including names, birth dates, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.
The telecommunications sector was particularly hard hit, with Free in France suffering a massive breach affecting over 19 million customers, including sensitive banking information such as IBANs.
The breaches documented by Proton span multiple continents and industries, from transportation and telecommunications to financial services and technology companies.
Allianz Life in Germany saw one million records compromised, including highly sensitive social security numbers. Meanwhile, SkilloVilla in India experienced one of the largest exposures, with over 33 million records containing personal contact information leaked to dark web markets.
| Company | Country | Records Exposed | Compromised Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qantas Airways | Australia | 11.8 million+ | Name, date of birth, physical address, phone number, email address |
| Allianz Life | Germany | 1 million+ | Name, date of birth, physical address, phone number, email address, social security number |
| Tracelo | United States | 1.4 million+ | Name, physical address, phone number, email address, password |
| INTERSPORT France | France | 105,782 | Name, physical address, phone number, email address |
| Free | France | 19 million+ | Name, date of birth, phone number, email address, IBAN |
| Orange Romania | Romania | 3.4 million+ | Name, date of birth, physical address, phone number, email address, username, ID number |
| Zacks Investment Research | United States | 5.4 million+ | Name, physical address, phone number, email address, username, password |
| SkilloVilla | India | 33 million+ | Name, physical address, phone number, email address |
| amai | Singapore | 10 million+ | Name, physical address, phone number, email address, password |
| PhoneMondo | Germany | 10 million+ | Name, date of birth, physical address, phone number, email address, username, password, IBAN |
The variety of compromised data types is equally concerning. Beyond basic contact information, cybercriminals have obtained passwords, social security numbers, banking details, and identification numbers. This comprehensive data enables sophisticated identity theft operations and account takeover attacks.
Follow us on Google News, LinkedIn, and X for daily cybersecurity updates. Contact us to feature your stories.
