mePrism

07/14/2026

What do ransomware groups do before they deploy ransomware?

They research people.

Employees are often the first target, not the network. Publicly available information from data brokers, people-search sites, breach databases, and social media helps attackers build convincing stories that lead to phishing, credential theft, and social engineering.

The malware comes later.

Our latest article explores why employee data exposure has become part of the ransomware playbook, and what organizations can do to reduce their attack surface before attackers make contact.

Read the full article:

https://meprism.com/blog/ransomware-data-brokers-employee-targeting

07/08/2026

How exposed are your employees' personal data across the open web?

For many organizations, there isn't a clear answer.

Publicly available personal information is often the starting point for phishing, credential abuse, and social engineering attacks. Yet few organizations have a consistent way to measure that risk.

Our latest article introduces the Employee PII Exposure Score, a practical framework that helps HR and security teams measure employee exposure, track progress over time, and report meaningful privacy metrics to leadership.

Read the full article:
https://meprism.com/blog/employee-pii-exposure-score

07/06/2026

Every search leaves a trace.

Not just in your browser, but across people-search sites, data brokers, public records, and countless databases you never signed up for.

Over time, those fragments become a detailed profile of who you are.

That's the information scammers, social engineers, and cybercriminals use before they ever send an email or make a phone call.

Privacy isn't about disappearing.

It's about deciding how much of yourself is available to anyone who goes looking.

This month's Privacy Pulse explores why open source data removal belongs alongside every modern cybersecurity strategy.

Read the full article:
https://meprism.com/blog/june-privacy-pulse-where-open-source-data-removal-belongs

07/02/2026

We spend billions protecting data inside our organizations.

Then we ignore the data sitting outside them.

Employee information.

Executive profiles.

Home addresses.

Phone numbers.

Family connections.

All publicly available.

All searchable.

All valuable to someone planning an attack.

You can't secure what you don't control.

But you can reduce what's exposed.

That's the conversation we're having in this month's Privacy Pulse, and why we believe open source data removal deserves a permanent place in every modern security program.

Read the full article:

https://meprism.com/blog/june-privacy-pulse-where-open-source-data-removal-belongs

06/10/2026

You may have removed your own data from people-search sites.

But what about your spouse?

Your adult children?

Your parents?

In 2026, data brokers don't just profile individuals. They build household graphs that connect family members, addresses, phone numbers, employers, and relationships.

That means removing one person's profile often isn't enough.

Our latest guide explains:

• Why household privacy matters more than individual privacy
• How California's new DROP program changes data broker enforcement
• The right order to remove household members
• How to protect minors differently from adults
• What metrics actually measure privacy success

If you're serious about reducing your family's exposure online, start with the household, not the individual.

Read the full guide:

https://meprism.com/blog/household-data-broker-removal-playbook-2026

06/02/2026

Your personal information is more valuable than ever.

In May alone:

• A record privacy penalty was issued for the sale of driver data.
• Hundreds of millions of records were exposed in major breaches.
• The FTC moved against a data broker selling sensitive location data.
• Researchers found that many data brokers still make it difficult for consumers to remove their information.

Most cyberattacks, scams, and identity theft attempts start with one thing:

Access to personal data.

The less information available about you online, the harder you become to target.

Swipe through our Privacy Pulse carousel to see the biggest privacy stories from May 2026 and what they mean for you.

Read the full article through the link in our bio.

05/21/2026

BlackFile is one of the clearest examples of how cyberattacks are changing in 2026.

The group reportedly targeted employees directly on personal phones while pretending to be internal IT support.

The attackers already knew:

-personal numbers
- family relationships
- previous employers
- workplace details

Most of that information comes from data broker and people-search sites.

This is why workforce privacy is becoming part of enterprise security strategy.

The attack starts long before credentials are stolen.

It starts with exposed personal data sitting publicly online.

We broke down how these attacks work, why retail and hospitality companies are being hit hardest, and what organizations can do to reduce exposure.

Read the full article:

https://meprism.com/blog/blackfile-social-engineering-data-brokers-2026

05/18/2026

Canvas breach hit 275M users. FTC banned Kochava location sales. California DROP launches Aug 1. Three privacy signals: https://meprism.com/blog/privacy-pulse-canvas-kochava-drop-may-2026

05/12/2026

Three privacy stories landed in one week, and they all point to the same lesson: personal data exposure still makes attacks easier.

The 2026 Verizon DBIR reinforces that the human element is still at the center of many breaches, Aura’s March incident shows how effective vishing can be, and the FTC’s action against Kochava highlights the risks of sensitive location data being sold without consent.

When exposed data is easy to find, easy to buy, and easy to use, attackers do not need to break in — they can social-engineer their way in.

Read the full article here:

This week in privacy: the 2026 Verizon DBIR confirms the human element is still the front line, an identity protection company gets phished, and the FTC bans Kochava.

05/11/2026

We have a brand update to share: Priwall by mePrism is now our new customer-facing brand.

This change gives us a clearer, more direct way to describe the protection we provide — helping reduce your exposure across data broker sites, people-search platforms, and other public data sources.

What’s staying the same:

- Same company.
- Same team.
- Same service.
- Same account and login experience.
- Same support and customer care.

You may begin to see updated branding, emails, and product references in the coming weeks, but your service is not changing.