February 2, 2026

Your Data’s Been Hacked (Again)

The hackers didn’t sprint. They marinated.

October 2025: TriZetto—one of the big players in healthcare infrastructure—finally spots hackers who’ve been camping out in their systems for the better part of a year. Cozy. By now, the intruders have scooped up personal and health data linked to at least 700,000 people.

If this doesn’t make the CIO inside you wince, check your pulse. And if you think this is just a healthcare problem, think again. This breach highlights a clear and present danger in any technology-forward business: the dangerous gap between hiring ambition and hiring execution in cyber security and infrastructure teams.

Let’s get one thing straight: You are a target

Many scale-ups and SMEs still operate like they’re small enough to fly under the radar. They aren’t. Tech startups, fintechs, even national museums—if you’ve got data, you’ve got a target on your back.

And the hackers? They’re not teenagers in hoodies. They’re patient, professional, and playing the long game. Like those burglars who study your routine before striking during your holiday. That’s what happened with TriZetto. Someone left the digital back door ajar, and that silence wasn’t safety. It was staging time.

So, if your IT stack has grown faster than your security muscle, guess what? You’re not scaling. You’re skating.

Hiring cyber talent isn’t optional—it’s existential

Let’s be blunt: too many tech leaders approach cyber hiring with the same urgency as sorting out the office coffee order. If you’re relying on a couple of overworked generalist engineers to ‘keep an eye on security’, you might as well hand over your admin passwords to LinkedIn scammers.

Here’s what I see in the field:

• Security afterthoughts: Companies prioritise features and scale, then realise three years in they don’t know where half their sensitive data lives.
• Legacy by default: That contractor you hired five years ago is still running your firewall config. No documentation. No succession plan. Cheers, Dave.
• Hiring misfires: Great CVs. No hands-on readiness. Or worse, hiring ‘compliance officers’ instead of real security pros.

The TriZetto breach isn’t just about one firm’s vulnerability. It’s a wake-up call for everyone playing fast and loose with security talent.

The ‘Managed Risk Fallacy’ is costing you more than you know

There’s this idea that you can ‘accept’ a certain level of risk in fast-growing companies. The whole move-fast-and-break-things mantra. Except now, what’s being broken is trust. And that kind of damage costs way more than a re-platforming budget.

Your customers, users and investors expect—no, assume—you’re handling their data like it’s the Queen’s jewels. “We accept the risk” is not going to cut it with the ICO, or your press team when data hits the fan.

Hiring the right cyber lead isn’t about risk avoidance. It’s about value protection. The same way you wouldn’t leave your IP unpatented, you shouldn’t skimp on protecting your digital infrastructure.

What to do if you don’t want to be next

This isn’t fear-mongering. It’s preparation. And that preparation starts with your people. Here’s what I’d be doing if I were running a scaling tech firm right now:

1. Don’t hire security, hire capability

The best cyber hires don’t just tick technical checklists. They understand your business context, your threat model, and where your real vulnerabilities live. Look for people who talk more about architecture than audits.

2. Buy leadership, not logos

Don’t get dazzled by CVs stacked with blue-chip stints and vendor badges. Hiring a security leader from a big bank into your 80-person SaaS startup isn’t always a fit. Match the hire to your pace and stage.

3. Embed security early in the culture

Security pros shouldn’t have to beg for a seat at the table. Get them involved in engineering standups, product design, even customer conversations. Done right, security isn’t a blocker—it’s a value-add.

4. Pressure test your hiring partners

If your recruiter can’t answer basic cyber talent questions beyond “do you want on-site or hybrid?”, you might be paying for keyword filters. Work with people who understand the stack and the stakes.

Still think you’re too small to be a target?

So did TriZetto. Until 700,000 people’s data blew a hole in that belief.

The reality? Cyber security isn’t a side quest. It’s mission-critical. And the talent that protects your infrastructure is just as important as the talent that builds it.

Breach fatigue is real. But that doesn’t mean you get to tune out. Because every headline like this one isn’t just warning. It's déjà vu for the unprepared.

I’ll leave you with one question: “If an attacker got four months of undetected access to your systems, what would they find?”

If the answer makes you sweat, it’s time to hire differently. Before your name’s in the next TechRadar headline.

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