And it's out!

Zack Whittaker and I have released our report on the pilot survey we conducted to increase awareness about threats security researchers and journalists who report on cybersecurity and cybercrime experience.

We are grateful to all those who responded to the survey and shared a bit of their experiences. Based on what we found in a pilot survey with a non-random sample, I really think we need to do a bigger study that can also do a deeper dive into some questions.

You can read the report in html or download the .pdf version:

html: https://databreaches.net/2026/02/02/under-pressure-exploring-the-effect-of-legal-and-criminal-threats-on-security-researchers-and-journalists/

pdf: https://databreaches.net/wp-content/uploads/security-researcher-journalist-threats-survey-2026.pdf

In conjunction with the release of the report, I've also added a new "Threats" category to DataBreaches.net.

You can also read some overview comments from Zack at
https://this.weekinsecurity.com/new-survey-reveals-how-security-researchers-and-journalists-experience-legal-and-criminal-threats/

My post explaining how this all started is at https://databreaches.net/2026/02/02/threats-results-of-a-pilot-survey-on-threats-and-a-new-category-on-databreaches-net/

#cybersecurity #securityresearch #legalthreats #threats #criminals #databreach #vulernabilities #malware #lawsuit #survey

@zackwhittaker @campuscodi @amvinfe @jgreig @dangoodin @GossiTheDog @lawrenceabrams @euroinfosec

And it's out!

Zack Whittaker and I have released our report on the pilot survey we conducted to increase awareness about threats security researchers and journalists who report on cybersecurity and cybercrime experience.

We are grateful to all those who responded to the survey and shared a bit of their experiences. Based on what we found in a pilot survey with a non-random sample, I really think we need to do a bigger study that can also do a deeper dive into some questions.

You can read the report in html or download the .pdf version:

html: https://databreaches.net/2026/02/02/under-pressure-exploring-the-effect-of-legal-and-criminal-threats-on-security-researchers-and-journalists/

pdf: https://databreaches.net/wp-content/uploads/security-researcher-journalist-threats-survey-2026.pdf

In conjunction with the release of the report, I've also added a new "Threats" category to DataBreaches.net.

You can also read some overview comments from Zack at
https://this.weekinsecurity.com/new-survey-reveals-how-security-researchers-and-journalists-experience-legal-and-criminal-threats/

My post explaining how this all started is at https://databreaches.net/2026/02/02/threats-results-of-a-pilot-survey-on-threats-and-a-new-category-on-databreaches-net/

#cybersecurity #securityresearch #legalthreats #threats #criminals #databreach #vulernabilities #malware #lawsuit #survey

@zackwhittaker @campuscodi @amvinfe @jgreig @dangoodin @GossiTheDog @lawrenceabrams @euroinfosec

@XposedOrNot += Storenvy Data Breach

The Storenvy #databreach in mid-2019 exposed millions of customer records from the e-commerce platform. The breach included 1.1M unique email addresses along with usernames, IP addresses, city, gender, dates of birth, and original salted SHA-1 password hashes. A portion of the data, including cracked password hashes, was posted to a hacking forum, while the full dataset of 23M rows was listed for sale.

Exposed data: Email addresses, Usernames, IP addresses, City, Gender, Dates of birth, Salted SHA-1 password hashes

Potential risks: Account takeovers, Identity theft, Privacy breaches

@XposedOrNot += Storenvy Data Breach

The Storenvy #databreach in mid-2019 exposed millions of customer records from the e-commerce platform. The breach included 1.1M unique email addresses along with usernames, IP addresses, city, gender, dates of birth, and original salted SHA-1 password hashes. A portion of the data, including cracked password hashes, was posted to a hacking forum, while the full dataset of 23M rows was listed for sale.

Exposed data: Email addresses, Usernames, IP addresses, City, Gender, Dates of birth, Salted SHA-1 password hashes

Potential risks: Account takeovers, Identity theft, Privacy breaches

@XposedOrNot += Panera Bread Data Breach

The Panera Bread #databreach was disclosed in January 2026 after attackers publicly released stolen data following a failed extortion attempt. The breach exposed 14M records, including 5.1M unique email addresses alongside associated account information such as names, phone numbers, and physical addresses. Panera Bread subsequently confirmed the incident.

Exposed data: Email addresses, Names, Phone numbers, Physical addresses

Potential risks: Identity theft, Privacy breaches, Phishing

@XposedOrNot += Panera Bread Data Breach

The Panera Bread #databreach was disclosed in January 2026 after attackers publicly released stolen data following a failed extortion attempt. The breach exposed 14M records, including 5.1M unique email addresses alongside associated account information such as names, phone numbers, and physical addresses. Panera Bread subsequently confirmed the incident.

Exposed data: Email addresses, Names, Phone numbers, Physical addresses

Potential risks: Identity theft, Privacy breaches, Phishing