Cyberattacks in 2018 highlighted how many industries were unprepared to counter malicious hacker attacks. Such threats will persist for the foreseeable future, so it is critical that businesses across all sectors prepare for a number of scenarios. Cybercriminals may cast a wide net when they attack, which can be daunting for businesses that are considering what should be the first steps to take in order to be prepared. Fortunately, the previous year provides a number of examples to learn from when considering how to ward off cyber threats, as revealed by Gemalto's H1 2018 Breach Level Index Report. The report analyzed the data behind 945 breach incidents — more than 4.5 million breach records. Notably, 291 records per second were breached in 2018. According to the report, "That figure marks an increase of 72% over H1 2017." "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," is a saying that applies quite well when considering the threat that cyberattacks pose going forward. With this in mind, businesses would do well to learn from these breaches that Gemalto has identified as the four biggest of 2018. Related: Chubb predicts three key cybersecurity trends for 2019