Whether it be insecure Web applications, poor password management, or a lack of database policies and monitoring, the average database today is at risk of exposure through a host of different threat vectors that many organizations are not even aware of -- let alone are addressing. Already in 2010, the number of database breaches as a result of such mistakes is mounting.
The list of disturbing database breaches so far this year mostly could have been avoided. The affected organizations had to learn the hard way, through public embarrassment and expensive incident response procedures. But the missteps that led to them provide a cautionary tale for other organizations.

"Security needs to be addressed by appropriate policies and systems, but perhaps more importantly a cultural commitment and buy-in by employees to achieving security," Daniel Mayo and Graham Titterington, principal analysts for Ovum, wrote recently about database security.

Garnering that cultural commitment starts with awareness. Here are six of the more eye-popping database-related breaches so far this year -- and some lessons learned from each:

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