SureShield Partners with GTIA to Support the Cybersecurity Trustmark Program. Click Here to Learn More!
SureShield Partners with GTIA to Support the Cybersecurity Trustmark Program. Click Here to Learn More!
In October 2025, electronics giant Avnet faced a significant data breach when hackers stole 1.3TB of compressed data, potentially 7-12TB of raw information, from a cloud storage system in their Europe, Middle East, and Africa region. What could have been a cybersecurity catastrophe, with stolen personally identifiable information and operational data triggering lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny, turned into a non-event because the data was unreadable without Avnet’s proprietary tools, leaving hackers empty-handed and the company’s operations intact. This victory offers a powerful lesson for organizations aiming to outsmart cybercriminals in 2025 by implementing cybersecurity systems that make data unreadable, turning a breach from a disaster into a minor inconvenience.
With data breaches now inevitable, as 97% of ransomware attacks in 2025 involve data exfiltration and the average breach costs $5.9M according to IBM’s 2025 report, Avnet’s story demonstrates that strategic data design can neutralize even the most determined attackers. By leveraging proprietary formatting, Avnet ensured that stolen files, including historical point-of-sale records and customer contact details, were useless without specialized access, a strategy particularly critical when 40% of breaches exploit supply chain vulnerabilities, as noted by the World Economic Forum in 2025. For managed service providers, securing client ecosystems or enterprises, safeguarding their operations, rendering data unreadable through encryption, proprietary formats, or obfuscation is equivalent to locking sensitive information in a vault. Only authorized users can access the data, offering a robust defense against the rising tide of cyber threats.
To emulate Avnet’s success and make stolen data worthless to attackers, managed service providers and enterprises must adopt a proactive, multi-layered strategy that prioritizes data protection and compliance.
1. Implement military-grade AES-256 encryption to safeguard sensitive data at rest and in transit, ensuring that even if information is stolen, it remains indecipherable without the right keys. SureShield’s SecurityShield integrates this encryption seamlessly, providing peace of mind across complex infrastructures.
2. Deploy continuous, real-time monitoring to catch suspicious activity before it escalates, as Avnet did by detecting the breach on September 26 and rotating secrets overnight to halt unauthorized access. SecurityShield’s 24/7 dark web monitoring and vulnerability scanning can flag compromised credentials or exposed data, enabling swift action.
3. Align with frameworks like NIST, CSF, and GDPR using automated tools like SureShield’s ComplyTrack, which streamlines compliance by eliminating manual documentation, ensuring your data loss protection strategy meets regulatory standards without overwhelming your team.
4. Audit third-party access rigorously, as supply chain attacks are increasingly common. SecurityShield’s monitoring capabilities extend to vendor integrations, ensuring no weak links compromise your ecosystem.
Avnet’s proactive data design prevented a headline-grabbing disaster, preserving customer trust and avoiding GDPR violations, unlike the preventable breaches in June 2025 that cost companies like Hawaiian Airlines and Kettering Health millions in losses and eroded stakeholder confidence. By making data unreadable, organizations mitigate breaches and protect their reputation, ensuring compliance with stringent regulations. They also maintain operational continuity, offering managed security service providers a unique opportunity to deliver unmatched value to clients and reshape cybersecurity into a competitive advantage.
Avnet’s experience proves that with the right tools, breaches can become non-events, rendering stolen data useless to hackers. SureShield’s SecurityShield and ComplyTrack empower organizations with military-grade encryption, real-time monitoring, and automated compliance, ensuring you stay ahead of evolving threats. Don’t wait for the next breach to make headlines. Take charge of your cybersecurity today by requesting a demo of SecurityShield and ComplyTrack to build a resilient, future-ready strategy that protects your data and your business, while maintaining compliance with frameworks.
